Voting Information

Types of Elections

PRIMARY ELECTIONS are held on the last Tuesday of June in each even-numbered year. You may vote only for candidates of your party. If you are registered as an unaffiliated voter or are affiliated with a minor party you cannot vote in the Party Primaries. However, unaffiliated voters may declare affiliation with a major political party and may vote the ballot of the party with which they affiliate.

GENERAL ELECTIONS are held the first Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, in even numbered years. You may vote for the candidates of any party, regardless of your political party registration.

ODD-YEAR ELECTIONS are held the first Tuesday in November of odd numbered years.

NON-PARTISAN JUDICIAL ELECTIONS are held on the same day as the General Election. Candidates for these offices do not run as representatives of any political party.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS may be held in separate municipalities within the County. There is no separate voter registration in municipalities. If you reside within a Municipality, you should check with your Municipal Clerk for the date of your Municipal Election.

How To Vote

1. Register to Vote

2. Confirm Receipt of Voter Information Card.

Once your Voter Registration Application has been processed, you will be mailed a Voter Information Card that will have your precinct number as well as the districts in which you are eligible to vote.

In order to conduct elections in an accurate and efficient manner, it is imperative that your voter registration record reflects your current information. This is especially important with regard to your residential address, name, party affiliation, etc. Your Voter Information Card will reflect the information currently on file for your Arapahoe County voter registration. Please review the card carefully and verify that this information is correct.

If a correction is necessary, record the new information on the back of the Voter Information Card and return it to the Arapahoe County Election Office. The appropriate change will then be made to your registration record and a new card will be mailed to you. Again, it is important to identify these changes at least 29 days prior to the election so that your voting experience is trouble free.

3. Identify where you will vote on Election Day.

You should find out where your nearest Arapahoe County Vote Center is prior to Election Day.  The list of Vote Centers for 2012 will be available soon.

4. Bring ID to the Polling Place.

Colorado Law requires that you bring an Acceptable Form of Identification with you when you go to the polls to vote on Election Day.

Any form of identification indicated above that shows the address of the eligible elector shall be considered identification only if the address is in the state of Colorado.

5. Arrive at a Vote Center.

In Colorado, the polls are open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

When you check in at a Vote Center, you will be asked by an election judge for identification and you will need to sign your signature card. The election judge will then direct you to a voting booth. If you are not sure how to use the voting equipment, ask an election judge for assistance. Do not hesitate to ask the election judges for help if you have any questions or problems.

6. Get ready to Vote!

Before going to a Vote Center on Election Day, you should familiarize yourself with the candidates and issues that will be on your ballot. It is okay for you to bring in a marked Sample Ballot or information to help you make your decisions; but, be sure that you do not display the information for others to see. REMEMBER — VOTING IS A PRIVATE ISSUE!