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VOTING IN COLORADO IS SECURE

Frequently Asked Questions

• I heard that some election equipment passwords were inadvertently
  posted on the Colorado Secretary of State’s website.
  Should I be worried about my vote or the accuracy of this election?
  Can these passwords be used to access the systems remotely?
  These passwords cannot be used to access the systems remotely.
  The only way these system passwords can be used is by physical access to the equipment.
  Access is prevented:
  All voting equipment is stored in a room with strict access control.
  All employees authorized to access the equipment have background checks conducted on them.
  Colorado requires all voting equipment to be under 24/7 camera surveillance.
  In addition to these equipment security protocols, every Colorado voter votes a paper ballot.


• How are undeliverable ballots handled by the post office and our elections system?
  Undeliverable ballots are handled with the same security that all ballots receive.
  Here’s the process:
  All mail ballots are securely delivered to mail facilities for delivery to voters.
  Ballots deemed undeliverable by the mail facility are returned to county elections offices. They are voided and can no longer be cast.
  If the voter has taken no action to update their registration, they are put on an inactive voter list ballots will not be delivered in the future until they take action.


• Is there any evidence that many undelivered ballots might have gone missing?
  No.
  This claim is based on some people's research comparing the number of undelivered ballots that were rescanned through county systems to the amount charged that county for returned mail.
  These researchers were told their numbers do not match because the USPS charges for all returned mail, not just ballots.
  It's like comparing apples and oranges.
  An undelivered ballot could not be voted because it would also need the accurate signature of the individual to whom the ballot was issued.


• Is Colorado an all-paper ballot state?
  Yes.
  All Colorado voters except some overseas and military voters cast a paper ballot, whether they vote their mail ballot or vote in-person.
  In-person voters may use a touch screen ballot marking device, but it ultimately prints a paper ballot that the voter checks for accuracy and then casts.


• Are cameras required to be filming election equipment at all times?
  Colorado requires cameras to record all areas where the election management software system is used from at least 60 days before Election Day to at least 30 days after Election Day.
  For counties with 50,000 or more registered voters, cameras are also required to records all areas used for signature verification, ballot opening tabulation, and storage of voted ballots at least 35 days before Election Day through at least 30 days after Election Day.
  Many counties have their cameras recording year-round.


• Are voting devices safe from tampering?
  Yes.
  As with any computer system, there are vulnerabilities.
  However, those vulnerabilities are mitigated through different layers of physical security, testing, and auditing.
  They are never connected to the internet.
  This is verified as a part of the Trusted Build process and many counties will demonstrate these verifications during public testing.
  System updates are tested by federally certified testing labs before installation.


• How are the election results checked after the votes are tallied?
  After each Election Day before election results are certified, all Colorado counties conduct a Risk Limiting Audit to verify that the tabulation system counted ballots correctly.
  This audit includes bipartisan citizen audit boards comparing randomly selected voter-marked paper ballots against the electronic record of how the system counted those ballots.
  Colorado was the first state to conduct a statewide Risk Limiting Audit in 2017.
  These audits are now considered national best practices for ensuring voting system accuracy.
  Once the audit is complete, clerks convene a canvas board made up of citizens from their county to check the results and validate voter turnout.
  These canvass meetings are open to the public.


• Why do I hear so much about voter fraud and stolen elections?
  Reckless and baseless claims of fraud and stolen elections are not new.
  But these claims were amplified after the 2020 General Election in a way not seen before.
  In Colorado, our elections are secure and produce accurate results and have for a long time.
  Colorado is a national leader in election security and accuracy.


• Are Colorado’s elections secure and accurate?
  Absolutely!
  Colorado conducts extensive tests and audits before, during, and after each election to ensure systems and processes are secure and functioning properly.
  All counties conduct a public voting systems test before each election.
  Colorado's post-election Risk Limiting Audit, where ballot tabulations are checked by bipartisan citizen audit boards, provide a statisitcal certainty that the election outcomes are correct.


• If I have concerns about the system, how can I learn more?

For more information about Colorado election security
see the Colorado County Clerks Association
website

UNDERSTANDING ELECTION RESULTS

How long does it take to count ballots?

Accuracy takes time and democracy is worth the wait.

• Every eligible voter should have their voice heard and their vote counted.
  More people now vote by mail than ever before and absentee and
  mail-in ballots take longer to count because of security measures
  to verify the identity of the voter.
• While some states begin processing and counting ballots in advance
  of Election Night, there are states that are not allowed to begin counting
  absentee ballots until the polls close on Election Night.
• Please be patient so election officials can ensure every eligible vote
  is counted accurately.
• Voters can expect to experience an election week and that is normal.

For more information about election results and certification
see the vote.org
website

We Thank Our Election Workers and Volunteers
For Making Democracy Possible on Election Day
Tuesday, November 5

The League of Women Voters of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties members
thank our election officials, workers, and volunteers
in our Arapahoe County Elections, Douglas County Elections,
Municipal and School Board Elections,
and Colorado Secretary of State offices.

We appreciate all your hard work to ensure fair, accurate, and secure elections.
You are the backbone of our democracy and for that we consider you real-life heroes.

The League of Women Voters Celebrates
Native American Heritage Month in November





In November, League honors the contributions, achievements, sacrifices,
and cultural and historical legacy of the original inhabitants
of what is now the United States and their descendants:
the American Indian and Alaska Native people.

Read more

NEED HEALTH CARE INSURANCE?
GET DISCOUNTS ONLY AVAILABLE
FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO'S
HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE

The League of Women Voters believes everyone, everywhere deserves access to quality essential health
services without suffering financial hardship.

Connect for Health Colorado, our state's official Health Insurance Exchange, is the only place where
Colorado residents can qualify for discounts on quality health care insurance based on income.

The 2024 open enrollment period deadline for coverage beginning January 1, 2025 is December 15, 2024.

The open enrollment period deadline for coverage beginning later in 2025 is January 15, 2025.

The Colorado Health Insurance Exchange also has information for people whose Medicaid coverage has lapsed.

And, finally, the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange has information how to check for a health care insurance
financial aid discount when filing your State of Colorado income tax form.

Shop to compare plans for the lowest-cost quality health insurance coverage on the Colorado Health
Insurance Exchange today!

More information on the Colorado Health Insurance Exchange website

The League of Women Voters of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties Issue Committees

Volunteers Are Needed!