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1. How old must you be to register to vote in San Miguel County?

You must be 18 years of age or older on the date of the next election to register to vote at all elections. However, a person who is 16 years of age or older but will not have reached 18 years of age by the date of the next election may preregister and upon reaching 18 years of age, the person is automatically registered. In addition, a person who is 17 years of age on the date of a primary election or presidential primary election and who will be 18 years of age on the date of the next general election is entitled to vote in the primary election or presidential primary election.

2. Who is eligible to vote in San Miguel County?

A person must be at least eighteen years of age by the date of the next election, be a citizen of the United States, and has resided in Colorado at least 22 days immediately prior to the election at which the person intends to vote.

3. Where can I register to vote?

Registering to vote can be done online at www.govotecolorado.gov, in person at the Clerk & Recorder’s office, at the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Driver License division or at a Voting Service and Polling Center during an election.

4. When is the last day to register to vote?

Voters may register through Election Day. Please note that how you register to vote will impact how you receive your ballot.

5. Am I required to affiliate with a political party?

An unaffiliated voter can choose to list a preference in order to receive a particular party ballot rather than affiliating with the party.  Any unaffiliated voter may, but is not required to, declare a political party affiliation when the voter desires to vote in a primary election, or the voter may declare his or her political party or political organization affiliation at any other time during. An unaffiliated eligible voter need not declare an affiliation to vote in a presidential primary election.

6. Do I need to show ID to vote?

Yes, you must present an ID when you come in to vote. The address on the ID must be from the state of Colorado. Learn more about accepted forms of identification click here.

7. I moved to another state. How do I withdraw my Colorado voter registration?

Withdrawing a voter registration can be done online at www.govotecolorado.gov as long as you still have your Colorado driver’s license or ID card number. If that is not available, use this form and submit it to the Clerk & Recorder’s office.

8. What is the difference between a residential address, a mailing address, and a ballot address?

The term "residence" generally means the principal or primary home or place in which a person lives. A "residence" is a permanent building or part of a building and may include a house, apartment, condominium, room in a house, or mobile home. You must have a residence to register vote.

A mailing address is location where mail is received. Many in San Miguel County have a separate PO Box from their residence. This can also be used for students away at any institution of higher education.

A ballot address is a third mailing option for receiving a ballot. An example for use of a ballot address would be when a voter is away from their permanent residence each year during the same time. If an election falls during that time, the ballot will be sent to this address. All other election material will be sent to the mailing address.

Please note, once any address is established, it will not be changed until the voter changes by either going online or completing a new Colorado Voter Registration Form and submitting it to the Clerk & Recorder’s office.

9. What if I am homeless? Can I still register to vote?

If you are homeless, permanently reside in a recreational vehicle (RV), or for whatever reason have no fixed permanent address, you may use any address that you regularly return to and have the intent to remain. This location is referred to as a "home base" (residential address) and may be used for voter registration purpose

10. What is Automatic Voter Registration?

When an individual interacts with certain agencies, such as the DMV, they usually will provide information such as name, address, date of birth, etc. This information is then used to register that individual to vote in Colorado.

The voter’s county clerk will verify if they have a complete record to register the individual to vote. If the voter’s record is complete, the county clerk will send a notice to the voter that they are registered to vote. The voter can return the notice to either decline to be registered or to affiliate with a party. If the voter does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is then registered to vote.