Colorado § 1-2-201 - Registration required - deadlines - additional identifying information to be provided by first-time registrants.

§ 1-2-201. Registration required - deadlines - additional identifying information to be provided by first-time registrants.

(1) No person shall be permitted to cast a regular ballot at any election without first having been registered within the time and in the manner required by the provisions of this article. No charge shall be made for registration.

(2) Each elector registering shall sign his or her name on the registration record or, if unable to write, shall make a personal mark or be provided assistance to make such a mark by the county clerk and recorder or any other person authorized by the county clerk and recorder or the elector. The elector shall answer the questions required by section 1-2-204 and shall complete the self-affirmation required by section 1-2-205.

(3) (a) Any other provisions of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, an elector is permitted to vote in any primary, presidential, general, coordinated, special legislative, municipal, congressional vacancy, special district, or other election if he or she timely registers to vote before or on the date of such election.

(b) An elector may timely register to vote by:

(I) Submitting an application through a voter registration drive no later than twenty-two days before the election; except that, if the twenty-second day before an election is a Saturday, Sunday, state legal holiday, or federal holiday recognized by the United States postal service, the elector is permitted to register on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, state legal holiday, or federal holiday recognized by the United States postal service;

(II) Registering through a high school, in accordance with part 4 of this article 2;

(III) Submitting an application through the mail, a voter registration agency, a local driver's license examination facility, or the online voter registration system established pursuant to section 1-2-202.5 (7)(c), through the eighth day prior to an election; except that, if the eighth day before an election is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the elector is permitted to register on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday;

(IV) Appearing in-person at the elector's county clerk and recorder's office at any time during which registration is permitted at the office; or

(V) Appearing in-person at a voter service and polling center pursuant to section 1-2-217.7 at any time during which the voter service and polling center is open, including on election day.

(4) To receive a ballot by mail for an election conducted under this code, an elector must submit his or her voter registration application on or before the eighth day before the election.

(5) An elector who submits a voter registration form and has not previously voted in the state shall:

(a) Submit with the voter registration form a copy of identification as defined in section 1-1-104 (19.5), the elector's driver's license number, or the last four digits of the elector's social security number; or

(b) Submit a copy of identification as defined in section 1-1-104 (19.5) with the elector's mail ballot in accordance with section 1-7.5-107 (3.5).

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 638, § 2, effective January 1, 1993. L. 94: (2) amended, p. 1752, § 7, effective January 1, 1995. L. 96: (2) amended and (3) added, p. 1735, §§ 10, 11, effective July 1. L. 97: (3) amended, p. 471, § 2, effective July 1. L. 99: (3) amended, p. 757, § 4, effective May 20; (3) amended, p. 1389, § 6, effective June 4. L. 2005: (1) amended, p. 1395, § 6, effective June 6; (1) amended, p. 1430, § 6, effective June 6. L. 2013: (3) amended, (HB 13-1303), ch. 185, p. 688, § 8, effective May 10. L. 2014: (3)(b)(I) and (3)(b)(III) amended and (4) added, (SB 14-161), ch. 160, p. 556, § 3, effective May 9. L. 2016: (5) added, (SB 16-142), ch. 173, p. 567, § 7, effective May 18. L. 2021: (3)(b)(I) amended, (SB 21-250), ch. 282, p. 1630, § 2, effective June 21.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 1-2-201 as it existed prior to 1992.

(2) In 1996, § 1-1-114 was relocated to subsection (3).

(3) Amendments to subsection (3) by Senate Bill 99-025 and House Bill 99-1097 were harmonized.

(4) Subsection (5) is similar to the former § 1-2-501 (1.5), as it existed prior to 2016.

Cross references: (1) For eligibility of nonresident citizens to vote, see article 8.3 of this title; for challenge of registration, see § 1-9-101. For offenses relating to registration, see §§ 1-13-201, 1-13-203, and 1-13-205.

(2) In 2013, subsection (3) was amended by the "Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act". For the short title and the legislative declaration, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 185, Session Laws of Colorado 2013.

ANNOTATION

Law reviews. For note, "Purged Voter Lists", see 44 Den. L.J. 279 (1967).

Annotator's note. The following annotations include cases decided under former provisions similar to this section.

Registration precedes an election and is a distinct subject of legislation. Aichele v. People ex rel. Lowry, 40 Colo. 482, 90 P. 1122 (1907).

Therefore, jurisdiction of the courts to protect registration books from padding is something distinct from jurisdiction of the conduct of an election on the day when voting takes place. Aichele v. People ex rel. Lowry, 40 Colo. 482, 90 P. 1122 (1907).

Registration laws to be construed to effectuate constitutional requirement election purity. Since § 11 of art. VII, Colo. Const., requires the general assembly "to pass laws to secure the purity of elections", registration laws enacted in compliance with this requirement should be construed to effectuate the intent and purpose of the constitutional requirement. People ex rel. Johnson v. Earl, 42 Colo. 238, 94 P. 294 (1908).

Section held not to apply to school elections. Guyer v. Stutt, 68 Colo. 422, 191 P. 120 (1920).