Colorado 2026 General Election

Vote with confidence.

Everything you need to get ready, return your ballot, track it, and understand what happens before results become final.

Check your voter record ↗Choose how to return
November
03
Tuesday · Election Day

Ballots must be received by 7 p.m.

Counting down to Election Day
Clear answers

What about the USPS changes?

Does a new federal process change how I vote?
No. For the 2026 General Election, Colorado voters will receive ballots and have the same return options they have used in prior elections. County clerks will continue sending and receiving election mail while following Colorado law and established procedures.
What was proposed by the federal executive branch?
A presidential executive order called for the U.S. Postal Service to take a greater role in election administration, including new requirements involving ballot envelopes and voter information. Elections are administered primarily by state and local officials under state and federal law. The legality of the executive order and related USPS requirements remains the subject of litigation. Colorado’s 2026 General Election will be conducted under the same state laws and established procedures Colorado voters and election officials have used in prior elections.
What is the best advice for voters?
VOTE! This is a long ballot with many contests and questions, so do not wait until the last minute to research your choices and cast your ballot. Use an official secure drop box to return your mail ballot. It is the most direct way to place your ballot into the custody of election officials. If you are voting your mail ballot after Monday, October 26, do not use the mail. Use an official drop box or take your ballot to a voter service and polling center instead. Ballots must be received by your county clerk no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. A postmark does not count.
Mark your calendar

Four dates to know

Colorado’s election unfolds over several weeks. You do not need to wait until Election Day to vote.

SEPT. 19
Military and overseas ballots

Must be transmitted no later than this date.

OCT. 2
Ballots begin mailing

Counties may begin sending ballots to active registered voters.

OCT. 19
Voting centers open

The minimum required voter service and polling centers begin opening.

NOV. 3
Election Day

Voting ends and ballots are due to your county clerk by 7 p.m.

Take three simple steps

Be ballot ready

⌖ Know your local options

Find official drop boxes, voter service centers, hours, and local election information.

Find your county clerk ↗
Return your ballot

Easy, secure, and on your schedule

Colorado voters may return their ballot to any official ballot drop box in the state, as long as it is deposited before 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters may also return a ballot at a voter service center or by mail. Vote early so there is time to address any issue.

▣ Use a secure ballot drop box

More than 75% of Coloradans who cast a ballot return it through a 24-hour ballot drop box, according to CCCA’s review of statewide ballot-return data. CCCA recommends official drop boxes as the safest, most secure, and most direct way to return a mail ballot.

  • Use any official ballot drop box in Colorado
  • Many are available 24 hours a day
  • Ballots are collected by bipartisan teams
  • Official locations are published by county clerks
Find a drop box ↗
Return or vote in person

Bring your completed mail ballot to a voter service and polling center in your county, or visit a voting center to vote in person.

You may use any voter service and polling center in your county. You are not limited to one assigned polling place. At a voting center, you can register to vote or update your registration, receive a replacement ballot, vote in person, or receive accessible voting assistance. Locations and hours vary, so check before you go.

Find a voting center ↗
Return it by mail

Mail early and allow enough time for delivery. Do not use the mail to return your ballot after Monday, October 26. Use an official ballot drop box or voter service and polling center instead.

Your ballot must be received, not merely postmarked, by the deadline.

Every ballot must reach the county clerk by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

When are you planning to return your ballot?

A secure drop box is a simple direct-return choice. Mailing is also an option when you allow enough delivery time.
Election Night and after

Results take time because verification matters

Election-night reporting is a progress report, not the final certified outcome. Here is what happens next.

01 · REPORT

Unofficial results

Counties begin publishing unofficial results after 7 p.m. on Election Night. Expect multiple updates later that evening and additional updates in the days that follow as more verified ballots are processed.

02 · REVIEW

Election Day ballots take time

Hundreds of thousands of ballots may be cast or returned on Election Day. Election officials must complete eligibility checks and process those ballots before they can be counted. Voters have through Thursday, Nov. 12, to cure qualifying signature or identification issues. Counties must also finish verifying and counting provisional ballots by Thursday, Nov. 12.

03 · VERIFY

Audit and reconcile

Counties account for ballots and conduct required post-election audits using the paper record.

04 · CERTIFY

Results become official

Bipartisan canvass boards review election records before certification.

If a contest is close, it may take up to 10 days after Election Day for counties to finish tabulating all accepted ballots. Doing this work accurately takes time. The process is transparent and may be observed by authorized watchers appointed by political parties, candidates, and issue committees.
Official sources and additional information