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Q1. What are the qualifications to register to vote as a Colorado citizen?

A1. Every person who will be 18 years of age or older at the time of the next election, is a United States citizen, and who is a legal resident of Colorado is entitled to register and vote in Colorado. (Persons otherwise qualified to register that are 16 years of age but who will not be 18 years old by the time of the next election may preregister to vote.)

In addition, every person who is seventeen years of age on the date of a primary election, presidential primary election or caucus and who will be eighteen years of age on the date of the next general election is entitled to vote in the primary election, presidential primary election, or caucus.

For the purposes of military and overseas electors, "Resident of Colorado" means that:

For a military elector or dependent, they consider Colorado to be their home but are absent because of the service member's active duty or service.

For an overseas elector, their last legal residence before the United States was in Colorado.

Q2. Who is covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens and Absentee Voting Act ("UOCAVA")?

A2. Colorado citizens living outside the United States and all active military personnel absent from Colorado are eligible to register and vote by mail as UOCAVA voters. UOCAVA provisions also cover the spouses, civil union partners, and voting dependents of active military personnel absent from Colorado.

Q3. Who qualifies as a "Military Elector" ("Uniformed-Service Voter")?

A3. A "Military Elector" is anyone who is:

• A member of any active or reserve branch of the military who is on active duty and a resident of Colorado, but absent from the state;
• A member of the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who is a resident of Colorado, but who is absent because of service;
• A member of the Colorado National Guard who is a resident of Colorado, but who is absent from Colorado on active duty; or
• A spouse, civil union partner, or dependent of a person described above who is a resident of Colorado, but who is absent from the state because of the service member's active duty or service.

Q4. Who qualifies as an "Overseas Elector"?

A4. An "Overseas Elector" is anyone who:

• Is a resident of Colorado that is, either temporarily or permanently, living outside of the United States; and
• Was a resident of Colorado immediately before leaving the United States.

Q5. What if I am a United States citizen who has never lived in the United States?

A5. If you are a United States citizen who has never lived in the United States, you can register to vote in Colorado if your parent, legal guardian, spouse, or domestic partner was a resident of Colorado before leaving the United States. To register to vote, you should use the last Colorado residence address of one of the parties listed above.

Q6. How do I register to vote, update my registration, and request a ballot?

A6. If you have a Colorado driver's license or identification card, log on to www.GoVoteColorado.gov. This online voter registration portal can be used to register to vote, request a ballot, or update voter registration information. You can also indicate how you would like to receive your ballot by filling out the form provided through the online portal.

You can update your voter registration to reflect UOCAVA status through the online portal by selecting "Find my Registration" and clicking on the "Change my Address" link. You will then be given the option to update your status as a UOCAVA elector and prompted to indicate whether you would like to receive your ballot by mail, fax, or email.

If you prefer, you can submit a Federal Post Card Application ("FPCA") to your county clerk. The FCPA is available through the Federal Voting Assistance Program ("FVAP"). And serves as a universal form for both voter registration and absentee ballot requests.

All military and overseas voters should review their registration information online and update it as necessary. Likewise, military and overseas voters can also update their registration information by submitting a FCPA each year to their county clerk.

We encourage all military and overseas voters to provide alternate contact information, including an email address. This information allows county election officials to contact voters about their ballot and to provide important election information. This information will NOT be made available to the public and will ONLY be used for the purpose of communicating about the voting process.

Q7. When I register as an overseas voter what address should I use?

A7. You must provide 2 addresses:

• Your residential address in Colorado; and
• Your current mailing address.

For overseas citizens, your residential address is the last residence you maintained in Colorado before your departure. While you may no longer maintain formal ties to that residence, the address determines your proper voting jurisdiction.

Note: A post office box is NOT a residential address.

Your current mailing address is necessary to send you voting information, including your ballot. If your mailing address changes, you should timely update it with the county elections office so that you continue to receive elections and voting information.

Q8. What is the deadline to submit a voter registration application and to request a ballot?

A8. An eligible elector can register to vote up to and on Election Day. But if you wish to receive a mail ballot, the application must be received by the designated election official by the close of business on the 7th day before the election. Please keep in mind that if you would like to receive the ballot by mail, 7 days may not be a sufficient amount of time to receive, vote, and return your ballot.

Military and overseas voters can also request to have their ballots be sent by fax, email, or by downloading a ballot online.

The online ballot delivery program will allow you to download your ballot, mark and review it, and print and sign self-affirmation for return to the county elections office. To access your ballot online, you must have notified your county elections office that you are a military or overseas voter. To download your ballot, go to myballot.sos.colorado.gov and log in using your date of birth and either your Colorado driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number. Then follow the instructions to complete and print your ballot for return.

Q9. Do I need to submit a separate ballot application for each election?

A9. Under Colorado law, all active voters will be mailed a ballot for each primary, coordinated, and general election. While submission of a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is not required, you should submit an updated FPCA each year to ensure your ballot will be mailed to the correct address.

Q10. How will I know if my application is received?

A10. Once the county elections office has processed your application, the county will mail you a postcard. If your application is incomplete for any reason, the county will send you a letter advising you what additional information is required. You can also check the status of your application and ballot online at www.GoVoteColorado.gov.

Q11. How can I verify that my voter registration information is complete?

A11. To review your voter registration information, click on the "Find my Registration" link at www.GoVoteColorado.gov. To access your information, you will need to enter your first and last name, date of birth, and the zip code of your residential address in Colorado. Through the online portal, you will be able to review your mailing address, precinct and district information, party affiliation, and contact information for your county clerk and recorder, as well as track the status of your ballot during an election.

Q12. When should I receive my ballot by mail?

A12. Counties will mail ballots to military and overseas voters 45 days before the election. You should receive your ballot within 2 weeks after it has been mailed by the county. You can also check whether your ballot has been mailed through the registration verification tool at www.GoVoteColorado.gov.

Q13. What if I have not received my ballot?

A13. Contact your county elections office if you have not received your ballot 2 weeks before the election. Your county clerk will assist you in determining the status of your ballot; and if necessary, issue you a replacement ballot. For contact information visit the Military and Overseas Electors page.

Q14. Who is eligible to receive and return a ballot by fax or email?

A14. All military and overseas voters can request to receive and return their ballot by fax or email. If you would like to receive your ballot by fax, be sure to provide your county elections office with a complete fax number, including the international prefix and country code.

If requesting a ballot by email, provide a complete email address where the ballot is to be sent. If you receive your ballot by email, you will receive the blank ballot as a PDF attachment. In order to return your voted ballot by email, you must print and vote the ballot, then scan it and attach it as a PDF.

Note: If you choose to return your voted ballot by fax or email, you must voluntarily waive your right to a secret ballot.

Q15. What is a Federal Write-in Ballot?

A15. Any military or overseas voter is entitled to vote by a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot ("FWAB"). You can use the FWAB to cast votes for all federal, state, and local contests that you are eligible to vote on. You can designate the candidate by writing in the name of the candidate or by writing in the name of a political party or political organization, in which case the ballot will be counted for the candidate of that political party or political organization.

If the county processed a ballot application and later receives a FWAB, the FWAB will count. If, however, you return both a ballot and a FWAB, the county will void the FWAB and count the ballot.

You can get a FWAB from federal and civilian Voting Assistance Officers or on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.

Q16. What is the deadline for returning my voted ballot?

A16. All military or overseas voters must vote and send their ballots back by 7:00 PM Mountain Time on Election Day.

The county elections office must receive mailed ballots no later than the close of business on the 8th day after Election Day. If you are returning your ballot electronically, then your county clerk must receive it no later than 7:00 PM Mountain Time on Election Day.

Q17. What if there is a change in my UOCAVA status or a change in my address?

A17. If the address listed on your application changes due to reassignment or if you return to the United States, you will need to update your voter registration by contacting your county elections office. The best way to update your voter registration is to log on to www.GoVoteColorado.gov. If preferable, you can also submit an updated Federal Post Card Application.

Q18. What if my registration record is inactive?

A18. Military and overseas electors who find out that their registration is inactive should update their information to ensure a ballot will be mailed for the next regularly scheduled election. You can update your information by submitting an updated Federal Post Card Application or by logging in to www.GoVoteColorado.gov.

If it is close to Election Day, you can also download your ballot using the "Address Locator" function of the online ballot delivery system. You will also need to download the Federal Post Card Application through the system to update your information. You must submit the ballot and the application before the deadlines listed above.