Wildfires are pushing Coloradans out of their homes on primary day, but getting evacuated does not mean losing your vote. State election officials say displaced voters still have multiple ways to cast ballots, including replacement ballots at voter centers and returning mail ballots at secure drop boxes. There are some catches if you are voting from outside your home county, and the hard 7 p.m. Election Day deadline to turn in ballots still applies.
Per the Colorado Secretary of State, registered voters who were forced to evacuate may visit any voter center across the state to request and receive a replacement ballot. The office noted that "more than 430 drop boxes are available statewide" and that voters can look up drop box and voter center locations at GoVoteColorado.gov. Officials are also urging evacuees to contact their county clerks with questions about local contests or vote center hours.
As Denver7 reported, evacuees who still have their mail-in ballots can return them to any drop box or voter center in the state by 7 p.m. Tuesday, and the ballot will be routed to the appropriate county clerk for counting. The outlet also notes that voters who go to a voter center outside their home county will be able to vote only in statewide contests, while those who reach a center inside their home county can cast ballots in local races as well.
How To Vote If You're Evacuated
If you still have your mailed ballot, the simplest move is to place it in an official drop box or take it to a voter center before 7 p.m. Polling and voter center hours run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. CBS Colorado noted there are 137 voter centers and 437 drop boxes statewide this year. And if you are at a voter center before the 7 p.m. deadline, you may still vote even if counting starts later, according to Colorado Public Radio.
What Counts When You're Outside Your County
Visiting a voter center outside your home county generally limits you to statewide contests. To participate in county or municipal races, you need to get to a center in your home county, as Denver7 noted. The guidance comes as wildfires, including the Gold Mountain blaze near Ouray, have prompted evacuations across the Western Slope, complicating plans for some voters. The Colorado Sun has more on the fires and evacuation orders affecting communities this week.
For the fastest help, check drop box and voter center locations at GoVoteColorado.gov or use the Secretary of State's emergency ballot request tool, and call your county clerk if you need clarification. Per the Colorado Secretary of State release, these measures are meant to ensure displaced voters do not lose their chance to take part in today's primary.
