A lot of alarming news is circulating right now about federal efforts to change how states run their elections. There is especially a lot of speculation about how Colorado鈥檚 mail ballot voting system might be impacted. Voters deserve to know what all of this means for them.
For now, the answer is simple: Nothing has changed; keep your voting plans.
Colorado county clerks are hard at work preparing to mail your ballot, just as every county clerk has reliably and responsibly done for more than a decade. You do not need to plan around your ballot not arriving. You do not need to become an expert in federal litigation. And you certainly do not need to spend the next two months wondering whether Colorado’s elections are going to change.
While we are deeply concerned about what is happening in Washington, that is our job. Yours is to vote.
The U.S. Supreme Court just blocked new federal requirements that would have fundamentally changed how states conduct mail-ballot elections, including requiring election officials to redesign ballot envelopes at the last minute, provide voter information to the U.S. Postal Service, and obtain federal approval before ballots can be mailed to voters.
Changing election mailing mechanics just weeks before voting begins raises serious practical concerns. It also raises serious legal concerns.
That’s why Colorado challenged these requirements in court.
It’s why Colorado election officials are preparing for what happens next.
These two statements are important! They illustrate how strong institutions respond to uncertainty. Election officials help fight unlawful actions through the courts and also prepare for worst-case scenarios that we hope never happen.
Colorado knows a lot about building great election systems. We鈥檝e built our elections to withstand the unexpected. We became national leaders not because nothing ever goes wrong, but because we built a system designed around the reality that things do. We鈥檝e spent years improving and strengthening our laws and processes, and we have experienced professionals ready for whatever comes next. Our election system is resilient by design.
Election officials plan for snowstorms and wildfires. We prepare for power outages, equipment failures, cyberattacks, and misinformation. We test our systems. We audit our elections. We build redundancies. And when a new threat emerges, we plan for that too.
The new federal mail-ballot requirements are now one of those contingencies.
Across Colorado, Clerks are examining timelines, staffing, voting centers, ballot distribution options, and the many other operational questions that could arise. That planning should reassure voters, not frighten them.
We hope we don鈥檛 need our backup plans. But if something unexpected happens, we will be ready to serve voters, count ballots, and deliver results.
The Constitution gives states the power to design and administer elections. Colorado has exercised that responsibility by building a secure, accessible election system in which more than 95% of voters cast the ballot they receive in the mail. We believe that authority should be respected.
When the federal administration attempts to bypass Congress regarding elections, it exceeds its authority, and states must stand up for themselves. We should use the Constitution. We should use the courts. We should defend our voters. And while that fight is underway, the people responsible for running elections should prepare for every possible outcome.
There may come a point when federal rules change what Colorado voters need to know or do. If that happens, election officials will explain it clearly. Until then, we should be careful not to turn hypothetical problems into real ones. Responsible election communication requires distinguishing between what could happen and what is happening.
Americans do not benefit when faith in our elections is lost.
So here’s where this issue stands right now:
The U.S. Postal Service’s new ballot requirements are currently blocked. Colorado has challenged them in court and won at the highest court in the land. Meanwhile, election officials are preparing for every contingency, and Colorado voters should plan to vote the way they normally do.
Check your registration. Watch for information from your county clerk. When your ballot arrives, vote it and return it early if you can. And if circumstances change, trust that Colorado’s election officials will tell you what you need to know.
That抖阴ap how we keep our elections secure.
Amanda Gonzalez is the Jefferson County clerk and recorder, and Justin Grantham is the Fremont County clerk and recorder.
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