by Destin Palacios, staff writer

The Colorado Springs mayoral election is approaching soon on the April 4th, 2023 ballot, so it’s important to make sure you are registered to vote so that you can have an impact on the local community here in the Springs. There are many PPSC students who may not be registered to vote purely because they aren’t sure how to register or just haven’t gotten around to it, but it’s important as a community member to be active in these elections to ensure the public still has a voice within the community.

If you are a student who wants to vote in this upcoming election, but don’t know the steps to take, here’s your guide.

Registration

Registering to vote as a Colorado Springs resident is a very fast and simple process that takes mere moments to do online or in-person with a downloadable PDF document that has all the important registration information that can be turned into a voter registration drive. To register online, visit the Colorado Secretary of State website (https;//www.sos.state.co.us), and  from there, you will fill out important information about yourself that is vital to register, which includes your full legal name, your birthday, as well as your Colorado State ID/Driver’s License number for identification. Next, you must confirm that you are a U.S. citizen, are at least 16 years of age, and have lived in Colorado for at least 22 days immediately before the election you intend to vote in.

Getting Mail-In Ballots (though it’s too late for this election; you can still register to vote and vote on election day if you visit a VSPC location)

After filling in those important pieces of information, you list your party affiliation, and list if you are an eligible Colorado voter who is out of state that may be a uniformed-service member on duty or an overseas civilian. After those steps, you will fill out your email address, phone number, gender identity, as well as your residential or other address that your ballot can be mailed to prior to the election date. After completing all those steps and verifying your eligibility, you can submit your registration form which will be processed by your County Clerk and Recorder.

Registration to vote extends all the way through Election Day, however how you register to vote impacts how you receive your ballot. You can receive your ballot in the mail if you register to vote through the Colorado Secretary of State website up until the 8th day prior to the election, or if your submit an application to your County Clerk and Recorder via mail, voter registration drives, or driver’s license examination facilities, also up until the 8th day prior to Election Day. If you visit a voter registration drive or a VSPC location, you will be able to register there and cast your ballot on Election day.

Voting in local elections are a critical aspect of community participation that many young adults can ignore or put off for the future, so it is very important that you are registered and eligible to vote in this upcoming election, because your vote matters.

 

https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/FAQs/VoterRegistrationFAQ.html

https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/olvr/eligibiltyVoter.xhtml