Will Mail-in Voting Be Allowed in Nov. Election?
Rick Langenberg
With a slew of lawsuits, a controversial Supreme Court decision and an all-out political war between Colorado officials and the White House, many local voters are posing one basic question: Will we receive an election ballot and be permitted to vote in the Nov. election?
Teller County Clerk and Recorder Stephanie Kees is cautiously optimistic that the ongoing feud over the future of mail-in voting won’t impact the forthcoming election. “My prediction is ‘yes,’” said Kees, as the deadline recently loomed for ballots to get finalized, regarding the prospects of the status quo system remaining in place for the Nov. vote .“I am optimistic.”
But she conceded that the long-term picture regarding mail-in voting locally and in Colorado is somewhat up in the air. Mail-in voting has been in place in Colorado for more than a decade.
But much confusion has persisted with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the door for an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, imposing more stringent restrictions on mail ballots. Part of this order included a demand for states to supply the feds with a list of eligible voters, a list that would be scrutinized by the Department of Homeland Security.
The U.S. Postal Service, following this decision, then agreed to only send ballots to those American citizens approved by the feds, as part of an official eligible voter list. But then Colorado and 25 other states filed a lawsuit against the Postal Service. A temporary moratorium was subsequently granted by a federal judge, regarding the actions of the Postal Service, which could delay an ultimate decision until after the Nov. election.
Meanwhile, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold stated that the state is on track to mail ballots to voters in October. She has accused Trump of attempting to thwart the democratic system by determining who can vote in elections. Trump, though, has accused Griswold of opening the door for voter fraud by advocating the mail-in ballot system so vigorously. Both Griswold and Trump have maintained a lengthy public feud that doesn’t appear likely to end anytime soon.
Kees, though, said her office has not gotten involved in the political ramifications involved in this fight and is more concerned with proceeding with the upcoming election.
“My sincere hope is that everyone who is eligible to vote, gets to vote,” said Kees. She sees the bombardment of lawsuits and countersuits now being placed in a holding pattern.
Ultimately, she believes the Supreme Court will be forced to make a final verdict on the issue. According to most insiders, the high court’s earlier decision dealt with the timing of challenges made against Trump’s executive order regarding new mail ballot rules and didn’t really address the constitutionality of these regulations.
Mail-in Voting a Big Plus for Teller County
Kees, in expressing views similar to most clerks across Colorado, is a big advocate of mail-in voting. She cites the convenience this system has created, along with the strong increase in voter participation. But in Teller County, she noted that 80 percent of the citizens use 24/7 secure ballot box outlets when returning their ballots, with only a small minority mailing in their ballots, via the U.S. Postal Service, or by visiting a designated vote center.
If this system is abolished, she admitted it would pose major challenges for medium and small-sized counties, such as Teller. Moreover, Kees says it would require much more pressure on establishing more vote centers and hiring more election judges. “It is hard enough now to find judges,” said Kees.
Plus, current rules require using an equal number of Democrat and Republican judges, another hurdle that must be overcome by election officials. In addition, the reality of longer election lines could come into play if mail-in voting is eliminated, noted officials.
She advises residents who have moved to a new residence in the last year to make sure their voter information is accurate, so they won’t experience any delays in receiving their ballots. They can do this by visiting GoVote.Colorado.gov.
As for any needed changes in the current system, the Teller clerk and recorder would prefer to see some of the acceptable ID formats tightened up in Colorado. But she is extremely concerned about one proposed plan, requiring voters to provide the last four digits of their social security numbers, or driver license numbers, when returning mail-in ballots. Kees contends that this could create a security nightmare.
Ballot Explosion Facing Voters.
When residents do receive their ballots in October, they will confront a virtual explosion of ballot issues. The 2026 election will feature 12 state-wide ballot issues, covering virtually every subject imaginable. Some of the hot issues deal with establishing more hunting and fishing rights, limiting income tax rates, protecting the use of natural gas for cooking, increasing penalties against fentanyl-related felonies, imposing tougher sentences for those convicted of human trafficking and upping the ID requirements for mail-in ballots and changing aspects of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights law.
In addition, voters will confront a slew of local ballot issues, including those impacting several special districts, such as the Florissant Fire Protection District. And in Cripple Creek, voters will decide on whether they want to approve the town’s first-ever city charter. This is part of a growing movement for Teller’s gaming community to gain more local control by becoming a home-rule city.
The ballot issues are just part of election 2026, as the mid-term mandates could determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
As a result, expect to see a bombardment of political ads in the next few weeks.
