Colorado Implements Accessibility and Security for Mail-In Voting
Colorado utilizes electronic ballots, bipartisan verification teams, and risk-limiting audits to manage its universal mail-in voting system and ensure election integrity.
The Colorado Legislature has established a universal mail-in voting system supported by extensive accessibility measures and security protocols. To assist voters with disabilities, the state expanded access to electronic ballots in 2019 and subsequently permitted electronic returns. Polling centers provide assistive technologies, including audio ballots, privacy masks, braille controllers for ballot-marking devices, and support for sip-and-puff devices.
Election integrity is managed through bipartisan teams at the county level. In Jefferson County, officials use high-speed machines to perform 11-point signature analyses, while questionable signatures are sent for manual review. Voters must complete a curing process for disputed signatures by November 12. To maintain anonymity, ballots are processed in separate rooms before entering tabulation machines.
Following the vote, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office performs risk-limiting audits on randomly selected races. These audits verify the accuracy of the results before the final canvass is completed by the end of November.
