CPR News’ voter guide to the Colorado 2024 primary election

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As registered voters begin receiving their ballots in the mail this week, consider using this election guide as your voting companion, with an emphasis on voting-related questions and congressional candidates.

Our guide is focused on introducing you to candidates and telling you about their positions on some of the top issues for voters in their districts. CPR and other newsrooms around the state have been surveying Coloradans about their concerns in this election, to help us to identify the issues voters most want to learn more about.

Colorado’s presidential primary may be long over but many other consequential races are on the party ballots for the state’s upcoming primary election scheduled to take place Tuesday, June 25. 

Now let’s dive in and happy voting!

Important primary election dates

Congressional District races: What to know and who is running

Not sure what district you live in? You can find your Congressional District on this map.

Board of Regents race: What to know and who is running

Election FAQs

How do I register to vote? 

You have options! You can register online here or complete this registration form and either email it to your county clerk or mail it to the Department of State. 

Colorado also allows people to register and vote up until the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. You’ll need to register in person at a polling place where you’ll then get a ballot and be able to vote. Find more information here.

How do I check my registration status, including my party affiliation and address?

You can check and edit your registration status on the Secretary of State’s website here, just provide your first and last name, Zip code and birthday. Once in, you can find your voter ID, registration status, party affiliation, residential address, ballot information and in-person voting locations.

Why am I getting an absentee ballot? I want to vote in person.

Colorado mails ballots to all registered, active voters in the state (with one exception for this contest that we’ll get to below). Inactive voters have to update their registration information in order to get a mail ballot. If you want to vote in person, you can throw away your ballot and vote at a polling center instead.

I belong to a minor party. Will I get a ballot for this election?

Not this time. None of the state’s minor parties have contested primaries. If you want to participate in the primary, you would need to change your registration by June 3 to vote on either the Democratic or Republican ballot.

I’m an unaffiliated voter. Why did I get two ballots?

Voters registered as unaffiliated will receive ballots for the two major political parties for the primary election. You can choose to vote in either party’s primary, but not both. You must return only one party’s ballot for your vote to count. Note: Whichever party’s primary you choose to participate in is a matter of public record, but not which candidates you choose.

How do I return my ballot?

Colorado allows voters to return their ballots in multiple ways. If you mail it in, you’ll need to add postage and send it back no closer than a week out from the election to ensure it gets to your clerk’s office in time. 

If you want to drop it off, there are more than 350 dropboxes available around the state. You can find them here. Some counties, like Denver, also have drive-through drop-offs where you can hand your ballot to an election judge. If you do accidentally drop off your ballot in the wrong county, the clerk there will try to get it back where it belongs. 

What if I damaged my ballot?

If you damaged your ballot you can request a replacement mail ballot from your county clerk or vote in person at a polling place. 

Do I need to show identification to vote?

Yes. Voters who vote at the polls must bring identification. You may also need to provide a photocopy of your identification along with your mail ballot if you are voting by mail for the first time. Find acceptable forms of identification from the Secretary of State here. 

How can I keep track of my ballot?

Colorado uses a service called BallotTrax that allows voters to sign up for text or email alerts at each stage of the voting process. The messages will let you know when your ballot has been mailed to you, when it’s received back at the clerk’s office, and when it’s been processed.

You can enroll here.

Have more questions? Check out the Colorado Secretary of State’s FAQ here.