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Voting and Health
Register to Vote in Colorado
In order to vote in Colorado, you must first register to vote.
Voting Guide
Review the voting guide (English | Spanish) to learn how to register, update your address, about your voter information and privacy, where to vote, how to vote, and what to expect when you vote.
Election Polling Location Guidance and Recommendations for Voters
If your business is interested in having an election poll, review the CDC interim guidance to maintain healthy operations and environments along with recommendations for voters.
| Who is Eligible to Vote | Where can I Register to Vote? |
|---|---|
You are eligible to vote if
People with felony convictions may vote if they have completed their sentence; prole and/or probation. | You can register by 7 p.m. on election day in person at a polling center in your community.
|
| How do I Vote? | What can I expect when I Vote? |
|---|---|
Once you have registered you can vote in one of two ways:
| The ballot will have a long list of issues and people – it can seem overwhelming. While voting on issues and candidates is a way to give your opinion, it’s important to know that you do not need to vote on every issue and for each elected position. You can choose to vote only on certain issues and for only specific elected positions. Information on each ballot issue and candidate can be found on many websites. The bluebook is put together by the Colorado General Assembly and is believed to present non-partisan and non-biased information. |
| Where are the County Election Offices Located? | Voter Privacy |
|---|---|
Each county has an election office, also sometimes called a clerk and recorder office. This is where you can register to vote in person, drop off your ballot, or ask questions and get voting assistance. Your county clerk and recorder office should also have a list of drop-off ballot locations in your county. Don’t be afraid to call; they are there to help you!
| Your personal voter information is not posted online. Your name, address, party affiliation, gender, birth year, and information about whether or not you voted (but not how you voted), is considered public record and can be given out to anyone who requests it. You can become a “confidential voter” by completing a voter confidentiality form at your county clerk and recorder office and paying a $5.00 fee; being a confidential voter means that your public record information will not be released upon request. The Colorado Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) can provide domestic violence, sexual offences, and stalking survivors with voter registration address privacy. For more information, call 1-888-341-0002 or visit www.colorado.gov/pacific/dcs/acp. |
Why do we have a webpage dedicated to Voting and Health?
| Voting is one way that people can shape their environments rather than simply being shaped by them. | Connections between voting and health |
|---|---|
| Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 19931 requires offices that provide public assistance or certain state-funded programs register clients to vote. In addition to registering people to vote in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program and Presumptive Eligibility Medicaid Enrollment, Tri-County Health Department provides government-sourced, non-partisan resources to staff and clients on topics related to voter eligibility, how to register to vote, where to find information about ballot initiatives, how to change your address, and what it means to vote in person or by mail. Our Voter Guide, available in English (hyperlink) and Spanish (hyperlink), provides this information and more to people who have recently registered to vote or are interested in learning more. Are you a Tri-County Health Department client?Ask us about voter registration at your next virtual or in-person visit. | Civic engagement is important to health, and voting, one important way people are engaged in their communities, is related to health in a few ways: by building community connectedness, by fostering civic engagement, by enhancing self-efficacy, and, more directly, by giving citizens the ability to vote on matters impacting health. Research notes the relationship between political activities, like voting, and social capital – social resources, connection, and collective action; “Within the United States, levels of civic trust and group membership are strongly correlated with geographic variations in voter turnout at elections.”2 Voting is a social determinant of health and equity, and has been recognized by the U.S. government’s Healthy People 2020 as well as by health research groups, health foundations, and health departments across the country.Based on November 2000 election records, 68.5% of people eligible to vote in Colorado were registered to vote, and 57.2% of people eligible to vote actually voted (83.6% of those who were registered voted).3 In the November 2016 election, approximately 72% of registered voters in Adams County voted,4 74% in Arapahoe County,5 and 80% in Douglas County.6 Increasing the voter activity of registered voters and engaging eligible citizens to register to vote can help promote civic engagement and community connectedness and, ultimately, improve the health of our communities. Social connection, belonging, and engagement are important to our health. By supporting each other and our neighbors, we can improve the health and wellbeing of our communities. |
- https://www.justice.gov/crt/about-national-voter-registration-act
- Kawachi, I., and Berkman, L. (2000) Social Cohesion, Social Capital, and Health. In: Berkman, L.F. and Kawachi, I. Eds., Social Epidemiology, Oxford University Press, New York, 174-190.
- https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2000/demo/voting-and-registration/p20-542.html
- https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/Adams/63749/184231/Web01/en/summary.html
- http://www.co.arapahoe.co.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1736
- https://www.douglas.co.us/documents/2016-ge-election-results.pdf