If you're outside of Colorado due to international travel or active service military duty, you're eligible to receive special voting support under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voter Act—what we commonly refer to as 'UOCAVA'—including:
To register as a UOCAVA Voter, you must be:
You are also eligible to register as a UOCAVA voter if you are the spouse or dependent of an individual who is outside of Colorado due to active military duty.
To become a UOCAVA voter, update your voter registration with the Colorado Secretary of State and change your status. To change your status:
Once you indicate your status as a UOCAVA voter, you'll be asked whether you want to receive your ballot by mail, email, or fax according to your personal preference. Please note: all methods of receiving your ballot are secure. Just make sure that your information is accurate and updated in your voter registration. More information about ballot delivery methods can be found in the next tab.
There are no deadlines to become a UOCAVA voter. You can become a UOCAVA voter up to and including Election Day. Additionally, you do not need to provide any proof or documentation to become a UOCAVA voter beyond a valid mailing address.
As a UOCAVA Voter, your ballot will be sent 45 days before the Election Day by email, mail, or fax (according to what is indicated in your voter registration).
Ballot Delivery Method | Ballot Sent | Deadline to Return |
|---|---|---|
45 days before the Election | Transmitted by 7 pm on Election Day | |
Fax | ||
Postmarked by 7 pm on Election Day Received no later than 8 days after the Election |
If you've chosen to receive your ballot by email, you'll receive an email from [email protected] with a secure link to an online portal where you can view and vote your ballot. Please note: our Office uses Mailchimp to send this email. As such, please do not unsubscribe from our list. Additionally, make sure to check your spam folder and add [email protected] to your contact lists to ensure that you receive your ballot. Finally, in order for your vote to count, your ballot must be transmitted to our Office by 7 pm MST on Election Day.
If you've chosen to receive your ballot by fax, you'll receive your ballot at the number indicated in your voter registration. Once you receive your ballot, follow the instructions to vote. In order for your vote to count, your ballot must be transmitted to our Office by 7 pm MST on Election Day.
If you've chosen to receive your ballot by mail, you'll receive your ballot at the mailing address indicated in your voter registration. Once you receive your ballot, follow the instructions to vote. Please note: in order for your vote to count, your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than 8 days after the Election. This being the case, please vote and return your ballot as soon as you can in order to ensure it arrives at our Office in time. If you have any concerns about returning your ballot on time, give us a call or send us an email at (970) 498-7820 or [email protected] so we can explore an alternative that works best for you.
If you need to change your ballot delivery method, all you need to do is update your registration with the Colorado Secretary of State. There are no deadlines to change your ballot delivery method. You can change your ballot delivery method up to and including Election Day.
As a UOCAVA voter, it is extremely important to make sure that your mailing address is accurate. Every year, we are required to send a physical outreach letter to every UOCAVA voter in the mail. If this letter comes back as undeliverable, your status will be changed to inactive and you will not receive a ballot for the upcoming election. If you have any questions, please contact our Office at (970) 498-7820 or [email protected].
Changing your mailing address will not remove your UOCAVA status. As such, please make sure to withdraw your status once you've returned to Colorado. To withdraw your status, update your registration with the Colorado Secretary of State:
To learn more about the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act:
If you have any questions, call our Office at (970) 498-7820 or send us an email at [email protected].
