Your election 2020 voting questions answered

It was 9 p.m. Saturday when Hollie Hendrikson’s mail was finally delivered.

Her postal carrier reported being on a third trip to the neighborhood to deliver Colorado’s 2020 ballot to voters.

She put her completed ballot in a drop box first thing Monday morning, Hendrikson said.

“(A ballot is) an action item. You have that ballot in your hand, (and) it’s an actionable task right now,” she said.

Hendrikson is a faculty member in Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Political Science Department and a social-policy consultant. Since July, she’s also been a lead organizer for voter-turnout initiatives on the Auraria Campus.

“There are so many protests, unrest, and a lot of us feel powerless,” she said. “I think voting is one of those really easy ways that if you don’t like what you’re seeing, you can express that and take action on that in a normal and democratic way.”

I’m not registered or I’m not sure if I’m registered to vote in Colorado. What should I do?

Hendrikson: Check the Colorado Secretary of State’s Voter webpage where you can register to vote, find your registration, check your mail-ballot status and find other information about voting and the elections.

I keep hearing about voting by mail. How can I make sure the state has my right address?

Hendrikson: The best way to confirm that the 2020 ballot will be sent your correct address is through the Colorado secretary of state’s “Find My Voter Registration” webpage. All you need is your first name, last name, ZIP code and birthday. After entering this information, you will find all your voter details, ballot information and in-person-voting county and district information.

When should I expect to get my ballot in the mail?

Hendrikson: In Colorado, ballots are sent out between Oct. 9 and Oct. 16. Registered voters should expect to receive their ballot in the mail sometime during the week of Oct. 12 or Oct. 19. Ballot drop boxes are open to accept all mail ballots starting Monday.

There is a lot more on the Colorado 2020 ballot than the presidential election. Where can I find information about the 11 statewide policy questions on the 2020 ballot?

Hendrikson: The Colorado Ballot Information Booklet (commonly known as the Blue Book), provides information on the statewide measures that will appear on the 2020 ballot and information about judges who are on the ballot. There are English, Spanish and audio versions and details on anticipated fiscal impacts of each measure. Another resource to check out is BallotReady.org, where you can find information about every candidate, proposition and referendum on your ballot.

Tivoli has voter drop box! On ⁦@AurariaCampus⁩ in front of ⁦@Starbucks⁩ #RockTheVote pic.twitter.com/BzgDrLgtbV

— janine davidson (@janinedavidson) October 13, 2020

Didn’t you hear about the mail problems? USPS might not get my mail-in ballot back on time. What are the ways I can return this ballot?

Hendrikson: Find your polling location and ballot drop-box location through this website managed by the Colorado secretary of state. If your address does not return a result, contact your county clerk. All ballot drop boxes will be open to accept all mail ballots by Oct. 19.

How can I make sure my ballot is counted?

Hendrikson: Check the status of your mail ballot through BallotTrax, a system that will allow you to track your ballot from the moment you send it in the mail or drop it off in a ballot drop box to the moment it is accepted by your county’s election office.

What happens if my ballot is rejected?

Hendrikson: The Colorado secretary of state recently launched a new program to allow voters to fix signature discrepancies on ballots. Under the new program, if a voter is notified of a signature discrepancy, all they have to do is text “Colorado” to 2VOTE (28638) and click on the link they receive as a reply. They will then enter their voter-ID number printed on the rejection notice they receive from their county election office, affirm that they returned a ballot for the election, sign the affidavit on their phone, take a photo of an acceptable form of ID and select “Submit.” The voter’s information is then electronically transmitted to their county clerk for processing during business hours. Assuming the voter completes those steps before the deadline of midnight Nov. 12, their ballot will be counted.

What else do young people need to know about voting?

Hendrikson: Here are the critical dates:

Oct. 20: MSU Denver Votes Early Day

Oct. 26 is the deadline to register to vote or update your registration and still receive a ballot in the mail. You can still register to vote in person.

Oct. 26 is also the last suggested day to return a ballot through the mail. After Oct. 26, voters should return their ballot at a drop box or vote center.

Nov. 3 is Election Day, and in Colorado you can register to vote and vote in person until 7 p.m.