Did you know that Colorado election offices continue to count legally received mail ballots for up to eight days after an election? If you are a registered voter in Colorado and signed up for BallotTrax to receive the messages about when your election office receives and counts your mail ballot, you are all set and likely already got the message that your ballot was counted.
If not, read on to find out how you can check your mail ballot status and why it is important even after Election Day. If you voted in person, there is no action needed as your identity was confirmed at the time you voted by showing an ID. Signature comparison is how identity is confirmed on mail ballots.
How to check your ballot status
- Visit the BallotTrax website.
- Complete the form with your personal information and click Register/Log In.
- You should be able see the status of your ballot.
If your ballot is in "Counted" status, congratulations! You’re all set.
If your ballot is in "Ballot Rejected" status, you have a signature issue that needs to be resolved. Election judges could not verify the signature on your mail ballot envelope against the signature(s) on file or you forgot to sign your envelope. You need to “cure” your ballot. This is important, as your elections office can still count your ballot if you respond to the by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Even if it is after the legal deadline, it is important to cure your ballot envelope issue. See below for why.
How to 'cure' your ballot signature issue
Get your voter ID:
- Go to the Find my Voter Registration page on the Secretary of State’s website.
- Enter your personal information and log in.
- Find your Voter ID under Registration.
Begin the cure process: Using a mobile device or computer, use the Colorado Secretary of State’s Cure My Ballot application to confirm the ballot submitted was your ballot. As part of the process, you will need to take or upload a photo of an acceptable form of ID and sign an affidavit. Thus, using a device with a mobile or computer with a touch screen is recommended.
In addition to learning your rejected mail ballot status using BallotTrax, clerk offices also send a letter in the mail. However, if you returned your ballot on Election Day, you may not get the letter until close to the deadline to cure. Additional cure methods are outlined in the letter, or you can contact your county clerk’s office. If you are a Boulder County voter, see BoulderCountyVotes.gov for more information on the cure process.
Why it's important
If you made the effort to vote, it is important to also make sure your ballot is counted. This is true even after Election Day, and even if the contests you most care about have won or lost, and because some contests may still be close. Every vote counts!
Additionally, election offices must hear from you even if you miss the eight-day deadline. This is because every signature that is not cured is turned over to the local district attorney for investigation into voter fraud. So, if you do not respond to the initial signature rejection notification/letter, you will eventually need to respond to the district attorney’s letter. Sounds scary, but it is very normal and how Colorado can keep voting extremely accessible with mail ballots while balancing election security.