Colorado Voter Guide

1. Register

Be sure you are registered to vote and all your information, like your mailing address, is up to date. Simply visit www.GoVoteColorado.gov to get started. 

All voters registered by October 31 will receive a ballot in the mail. You can register up to and on Election Day, but if you don’t register by October 31 you’ll need to vote in person.

Young people who will be 18 years old on or before Election Day (November 8, 2022) can register and vote in the election.

2. Watch for your ballot in the mail

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. Colorado’s county clerks will begin mailing ballots the week of October 17. 

To check the status of your ballot, visit www.GoVoteColorado.gov. If you have further questions about your mail ballot's status, contact your local county clerk and recorder's office.

3. Vote

After your ballot arrives, fill it out. You can return your ballot by:

• Mailing it back (requires postage and must be mailed by Oct. 31)
• Dropping it off at a 24/7 secure ballot drop box location (Oct. 24 through Nov. 8)
• Submitting it at a Voter Service and Polling Center (Oct. 24 through Nov. 8)

Find a ballot drop box location, your local polling locations, or county requirements for postage by visiting the website of your county election office. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8. 

Where to vote in person

If you prefer to vote in person (or if you registered to vote after October 31), find polling locations in your area by contacting your local county clerk. 

1. Suicide is a leading cause of death in Colorado for children ages 10 to 24. What do you think are the most urgent challenges in our mental health system, and how will you work to improve them?
2. Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety often start surprisingly early in life, with 1 in 6 young people having a diagnosable mental health condition by the age of 18. Prevention and early intervention are critical, so what ideas do you have to ensure kids receive quality mental health care as early as possible in life?
3. Kids don’t choose their life circumstances, and we know that access to care is vital to ensure that all kids have a healthy start in life. What do you think is the best approach to guarantee all kids have access to affordable, high quality healthcare?
4. Housing and food security are two important factors that influence the trajectory of a child’s life. How will you advance health equity in our state to ensure all kids have the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life? 

The Senate race 

One of Colorado’s two U.S. Senate seats is up for election this year. The winner will serve in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. 

Here’s who is running for office and how you can learn more about what they stand for:

Michael Bennet (Democrat)

• Incumbent, first elected in 2009
• Learn more about Michael Bennet: michaelbennet.com

Joe  O'Dea (Republican) 

• CEO of a Colorado construction company
• Learn more about Joe O'Dea: joeodea.com

The Gubernatorial race 

Every four years, Colorado voters can vote for the governor, who serves as the head of the state's executive branch.

Here’s who is running for office and how you can learn more about what they stand for:

Jared Polis (Democrat)

• Incumbent, first elected in 2019
• Learn more about Jared Polis: polisforcolorado.com

Heidi Ganahl (Republican) 

• University of Colorado Board of Regents, At-Large Regent, elected in 2016
• Learn more about Heidi Ganahl: heidiforgovernor.com

Other races

Be sure to vote your whole ballot. While races for president or Congress get the most attention, local races like state legislator or county commissioner matter just as much and have an impact that’s often closer to home. So, take a few minutes to research the candidates and issues on your ballot to make your voice heard. A comprehensive, non-partisan resource for other federal, state and local candidates is VoteSmart.org.

Food is medicine and children need access to healthy, nutritious foods so that they can grow, learn and thrive. If approved by voters, this initiative will create the Healthy School Meals for All program to provide healthy meals to all public school students. This program provides the resources that schools need to prepare meals with healthy and nutritious ingredients. It also provides funding for schools to purchase ingredients from Colorado farmers and ranchers to use in healthy school meals.

Sustainable, long-term funding for this program will come from limiting state income tax deductions for the top 3% of Colorado income earners, people who make $300,000 or more per year.

Children’s Colorado is encouraging a “YES” vote on Proposition FF

Why we support it:

• More than 60,000 kids in Colorado can't afford school meals but don't qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
• Two out of every five Colorado families struggle to put food on the table for their children.
• When kids don't have adequate access to healthy food, they have an increased risk for major health problems.
• Providing kids with a healthy breakfast and lunch makes them more engaged in class, and students who do better in school can have better health outcomes.

For more information visit: schoolmealsforco.org

Housing instability and homelessness are commonly associated with poor children's health outcomes, and some housing issues have been linked to childhood health conditions like mold with asthma. Proposition 123 is a comprehensive housing initiative aimed at permanently funding affordable housing across the state. The program generates $300 million in annual funding for affordable housing. By 2040, that is expected to result in $5 billion in total capital that would be leveraged to create and preserve affordable housing in Colorado. Combined with existing affordable housing units, this would result in an estimated 10,000 new affordable housing units annually and 170,000 units by 2040, eilminating the affordability gap in the state.  

The measure creates a permanent, sustained revenue source by dedicating one-tenth of one percent of Federal Taxable Income to a new affordable housing fund and removing the revenue collection cap on the housing fund. Colorado is currently projected to provide more than $4 billion in tax refunds over the next three years. This measure would effectively "recapture" $300 million per year of those refunds. This ongoing revenue source will help finance affordable new builds and preserve existing affordable housing.

Additionally, the measure leverages public dollars to incentivize local jurisdictions to set and achieve meaningful increases in affordable housing and simplify zoning and entitlement processes. 

Children’s Hospital Colorado is encouraging a “YES” vote on Proposition 123

Why we support it:

• Housing is widely understood to be a social determinant of health. Access to stable, affordable and safe housing options often impacts a family's ability to live a healthy life.
• Coloradans experiencing challenges with a lack of housing affordability and/or housing instability may also experience negative impacts on their physical health and may have trouble accessing healthcare.
• Accordingg to a recent Colorado Health Foundation poll, 86% of Coloradans say the cost of housing is a serious problem, and about one third of Coloradans (29%) say they're worried they might not make next month's rent or mortgage payment.

You will see a number of other statewide measures on the ballot this November, including initiatives on taxes, alcohol and business regulation, gambling and more.

Cast an informed vote on Colorado's 2022 ballot

Children’s Colorado doesn’t have a position on these measures, but it’s important that you make your voice heard by voting your whole ballot. Be sure to do some research on the ballot measures to help determine how you want to vote. You can do this by referring to Colorado’s non-partisan “Blue Book” summaries at Colorado.gov/Bluebook – a copy of which will be mailed to your home about a month before Election Day – or by researching the websites for each individual ballot measure.

Find out which candidates are running for office in your area at VoteSmart.org.

Just Vote Colorado is a great source of non-partisan information for all things election-related in Colorado.

• 866-OUR-VOTE | 866-687-8683 (English)
• 888-VE-Y-VOTA | 888-839-8682 (Español)