YOUTH AND THE VOTE

TOP STRATEGIES/INITIATIVES TO INCREASE REGISTRATION & TURNOUT

State Policies and Initiatives

• Go Vote Colorado is the State’s official voting website. 
• Colorado encourages online registration, mails a ballot to every registered voter, allows absentee voting, and offers drop off ballot boxes to facilitate voting.
• ID rules and helpline for Colorado  voters.
• Colorado: Election deadlines, dates, and rules

High school Initiatives

• Secretary of State portal for high school voters. 
• Colorado encourages pre-registration from age 16.
• Colorado law requires every high school to name a deputy registrar to help students register on-campus.
• High school students can work at the polls on Election Day as Student Election Judges.   
• Colorado’s Secretary of State recognizes high schools that register at least 85% of their seniors with the Elsa Pickrell Rout Award.
• Winning high schools with at least  85% of their eligible students registered to vote. 2022-2023 winners:
  • Cloud City High School
  • Woodland Park High School
  • Limon Public School
  • Central High School
  • Cripple Creek
  • KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy
  • Denver East High School

College and University initiatives

• 21 campuses are participating in ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge; 3 campuses won Platinum Awards for 2020 voter turnout rates > 80%. 2022 awards will be announced in November 2023.
• The Secretary of State sponsors the Colorado Campus Voting Challenge in collaboration with ALL IN and NSLVE and encourages all Colorado colleges and universities to participate.
• Colorado College registered 84.6% of its students in 2020 and won awards for highest registration and best plan. It sponsors CC Votes, a portal that offers students voting information and support and many opportunities for civic engagement. 
• Other 2020 Colorado Campus Voting Challenge Award Winners:
  • Arapahoe Community College – Highest Voter Registration & Highest Turnout, 2-year Institution;
  • Northeastern Junior College – Most Improved Voter Turnout Award, 2-year Institution:
  • University of Denver – Most Improved Voter Turnout Award, 4-year Institution: and
  • Colorado State University–Best Campus Democratic Engagement Action Plan Award, 4-year Institution.
• COLORADO CAMPUS VOTER GUIDE

OTHER INFLUENCES

• 29,000 ballots were rejected in Colorado in 2020 with 65% coming from young voters (18-24), many of whom did not provide adequate identification with their absentee ballots.

• The Denver Broncos encourage all eligible Coloradans to register and vote.

• New Era Colorado “is the leading voice for young people in Colorado politics . . . We work alongside our peers to grow our generation’s power. We fight for a better Colorado for everyone.” They report an 82% turnout of young people they register to vote.
• CC Votes includes links to a comprehensive list of NGOs working in Colorado on voting and civic engagement.