Every staff member in the Douglas County Elections office is a Colorado Certified Election Official (CCEO). To receive this certification, a background check and continuous training and oversight from the Colorado Department of State is required. Elections staff members and the temporary election judges hired to complete the statutory duties for each election are required to follow the same detailed federal and state laws.
Colorado has been conducting mail ballot elections since 2014 and is regarded as a national model for elections integrity, security, and high voter turnout. Ever wonder what happens to your ballot after you return it? This video from Douglas County Elections takes you along every step of the way in the Life of a Ballot.
Every active registered voter in Colorado receives a ballot by mail. You can choose to return your voted ballot by mail, ballot drop box, or at a voter service and polling center (VSPC).
Your mail ballot will be sent to the mailing address you provided when you registered to vote. To check what address you provided when registering to vote or to update your voter registration, please visit GoVoteColorado.gov.
Mail (paper) ballots are the most secure way to conduct an election. They can’t be hacked, are completely auditable, are processed every step of the way by teams of election judges representing different political affiliations, are stored in secure facilities with locks and cameras, and are regarded as a national model for elections security and high voter turnout.
Watch and share the Life of a Ballot video on DouglasVotes.com to see the process in action.
One of the strongest security features of Colorado elections is our statewide voter registration database. Here’s why:
When you register to vote, you must confirm under penalty of perjury that you are a U.S. citizen. This is the law, and it is strictly enforced with severe penalties. Most Colorado voters are registered at the DMV or online and citizenship is confirmed through a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or social security number. Colorado voters who register in person at a vote center during an election have additional options for a valid form of ID that they must provide, and they sign an affidavit swearing the truth of their application. Colorado’s statewide voter registration database is an integral part of the security and integrity of the election process due to the regular maintenance activities performed to ensure secure voter rolls. Click here for the complete list of all Colorado Voter Registration List Maintenance Activities.
In every Colorado county, all elections staff members and election judges are required to follow the same detailed federal and state laws regarding the conduct of elections. Every elections worker undergoes a criminal background check and must take an Oath and Acceptance to perform all duties according to the law to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in the conduct of elections. Election judges work in teams of different political affiliations in each phase of ballot processing to serve as an additional layer of checks and balances. Seals and seal logs are used in the collection and transport of all ballots to ensure chain of custody and that all ballots are protected and accounted for at each stage of the process.
A public Logic and Accuracy Test is conducted before each election to ensure the integrity of the voting system, and a public Risk Limiting Audit is conducted after each election to verify votes were counted correctly. All ballot scanning and tabulation equipment is air-gapped, meaning its wireless capabilities are permanently disabled so it cannot be connected to the internet or hacked.
The testing, processes, protections, and audits in place in Colorado ensure that the conduct of the election and the voting system used in every Colorado county accurately records the votes of Coloradans, and it is proven in every election.
Colorado is an all-mail ballot state. If a voter chooses not to use the paper ballot that is mailed to them and instead requests a replacement ballot from Douglas County Elections or a Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC), the voter will be issued the exact same paper ballot, created and printed on site, as the original mail ballot sent to them. The original ballot must be destroyed as it is against the law to attempt to vote more than one time.
Each VSPC is equipped with an ADA-accessible ballot marking device that any voter may request to use. Upon completion of the voting process, this ballot marking device will print a paper ballot indicating the choices selected for the voter to place in the ballot box. There is no option to vote electronically at a Douglas County VSPC.
Paper ballots provide a secure and completely auditable method for conducting elections. Douglas County Elections uses Clear Ballot election technology which includes the ClearCount tabulation and reporting system.
Douglas County Elections uses Clear Ballot election technology which includes the ClearCount tabulation and reporting system. Clear Ballot voting system equipment provides a voter-verifiable paper ballot system that is never connected to the internet and cannot be hacked.
Some aspects of the election management system utilize commercially available laptop computers which are hardened and operate on a secure, air-gapped network. This means that any wireless capabilities are disabled at the operating system level. The system is tested and certified at the federal level and then by the State of Colorado to ensure that it meets all state laws and certification requirements, including requirements that all wireless connections be fully disabled.
Why are wireless connections on the voting system equipment disabled instead of not included at all?
The use of commercially available laptops that are hardened for use on an air-gapped network is an industry-standard practice due to the limited supply of devices without wireless capabilities. The use of hardened laptops with disabled wireless capabilities allows for lower costs for county and state governments as well as consistent, reliable procurement practices to ensure that quality standards are met and certified equipment can be regularly sourced.
Yes. Over 90% of Douglas County residents choose to return their ballots to one of the 21 convenient ballot drop boxes located across the county. Ballot drop boxes include several layers of security:
The voter signature provided on each ballot return envelope is compared to the signature on file in Colorado’s statewide voter registration database to confirm that each voter has returned only one ballot and that the voter identification is valid.
If a signature cannot be verified, a team of election judges representing different political affiliations compares it to additional signatures on file for that voter from a previous voter registration form, ballot return envelope, or Colorado Driver’s License.
If the signature still cannot be verified, or if the ballot return envelope has a missing signature or an ID Required voter has failed to provide a copy of acceptable identification with their returned ballot, the voter will be contacted by mail (and email address if it has been provided) by Douglas County Elections to “cure” their ballot.
Voters have until eight days after election day to address (“cure”) any issues with their ballot in order to make sure their votes are counted. If the voter does not respond to the request to cure their ballot by the deadline, the ballot is rejected. Based on data from previous Douglas County elections, approximately 1% of returned ballots must be cured.
Every valid mail ballot is counted. To ensure your ballot is valid, follow the instructions on your ballot regarding how to mark your choices and make any corrections. Also read the instructions on your ballot return envelope and sign your ballot return envelope.
For your ballot to count, your county clerk must receive your ballot no later than 7:00 PM on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. If you are unsure whether your ballot will arrive through the mail on time, deliver it in person at one of the convenient ballot drop box locations throughout Douglas County or at a Voter Service and Polling Center.
If you are registering to vote for the first time, you may need to provide a copy of your ID with your mail ballot. These instructions will be provided with your mail ballot.
Visit the Track Your Ballot page to manage updates regarding your ballot status by phone, email or text message.
The State of Colorado holds regularly scheduled state elections every two years. During a regularly scheduled election year, a Primary Election is held in June, followed by the General Election in November. During a Presidential Election year, a Presidential Primary Election is also held in March. The purpose of the Presidential Primary Election and Primary Election is to nominate candidates from each party’s primary ballot for the November General Election. The winner(s) of the November General Election are then elected to hold office.
A coordinated election is one that the county clerk and recorder conducts on behalf of two or more political subdivisions that are hosting an election on the same day in November. Specifically, for a coordinated election to take place, the election must:
Generally, the November odd-year election is referred to as the coordinated election. And, like all elections in Colorado, coordinated elections are conducted by mail ballot.
Election results are tabulated and reported to the public beginning after 7 p.m. on Election Day at DouglasVotes.com. Counties must produce preliminary, unofficial election results a minimum of three times on election night: after the polls close but no later than 8 p.m., at or around 9 p.m., and at least one additional time on election night.
Mail (paper) ballots are the most secure way to conduct an election. Processing every piece of paper also takes time. Counting votes is not complete on election night. It is normal for ballot tabulation to take several days to complete. Factors like high voter turnout, a high volume of ballots returned closer to the 7 p.m. election night deadline (rather than during the early voting period), and the length of the ballot may also increase ballot processing times.
There is also a statutory eight-day period following election day to allow for electors to cure a signature discrepancy or missing signature; to provide missing ID for a mail or provisional ballot; and for ballots cast by military and overseas citizens to be received. Ballot tabulation is not complete until this eight-day period is over.
Counties must report complete results to the Secretary of State by the 10th day after Election Day. Results are not official until the Board of Canvass certifies them by the 22nd day after Election Day.
No. Under CRS 1-13-724 and SB24-131, it is unlawful to carry a firearm within 100 feet of any ballot drop box, polling center, or central count facility while voting or any election administration activity is occurring. Local governments cannot opt out of these requirements. Signs are posted in the Douglas County Elections Office and all Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) locations to provide clarity for the public regarding firearms during the conduct of an election. This prohibition does not apply to building/facility uniformed security or law enforcement officers.
Yes. The law makes an exemption for “political calls” when defining “telephone solicitation.” Specifically, Section 6-1-903(10) of the Colorado Revised Statutes, states:
(a) “Telephone solicitation” means any voice, telefacsimile, graphic imaging, or data communication, including text messaging communication over a telephone line or through a wireless telephone for the purpose of encouraging the purchase or rental of, or investment in, property, goods, or services.
(b) Notwithstanding [the above definition], “telephone solicitation” does not include communications:
(V) Made for the sole purpose of urging support for or opposition to a political candidate or ballot issue; or
(VI) Made for the sole purpose of conducting political polls or soliciting the expression of opinions, ideas, or votes. In addition to the political phone calls, there is an increase in the volume of political literature sent through the mail.
There is no complaint or removal process established for political calls or mailings. One option is contacting your county clerk and recorder and requesting that your phone number be removed from your voter registration information. But this will NOT guarantee that your phone number will not be obtained from other sources.
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You returned your ballot. the polls are closed – now what? Watch this short video to see how Colorado election results are tabulated and reported, and why counting votes is not complete on election night.
How does Douglas County Elections ensure that your vote counts? What security measures are in place during the conduct of an election? How are voter records updated?
Watch this February 7, 2024, Town Hall Meeting to get answers to these election questions and more, directly from Clerk and Recorder Sheri Davis and members of the Douglas County Elections team.
