Amendment 84: Mail Ballot Voter Identification
NCSL lists initiative number; official ballot designation differs (mapped by title)
CO has no rebuttals; Blue Book arguments are written by Legislative Council Staff.
Page numbers/running headers removed from extracted text.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution requiring a voter to sign and include the last four digits of their social security number or their Colorado driver’s license or identification card number on the outside of their mail ballot for any federal or state election, and, in connection therewith, allowing the voter to correct missing or incorrect information, including with alternative forms of identification; and prohibiting a county clerk and recorder from counting the mail ballot unless the problem is fixed?
A “yes” vote on Amendment 84 requires voters to provide identification information with their mail ballot, in addition to their signature.
A “no” vote on Amendment 84 continues the current signature-only verification system for mail ballots.
Not published by the state
The measure will increase state and local spending by up to $2.7 million in the initial budget year 2026-27, and $1.2 million annually in future years for voter outreach, printing, and election staff to verify voter information. These costs will be divided between state and local governments as discussed below. Local Government Spending The new verification process under the measure will increase county spending by up to $2.5 million in the 2026-27 budget year and up to $1.2 million in future years. About 45 percent of these county costs will be reimbursed by the state government. These costs are driven from several new requirements under the measure. First, election judges must review identification numbers provided by voters, which will increase staffing hours and overtime during elections. Second, county election offices must notify voters of any discrepancies involving their identification information, which will require sending a postcard or digital notification to voters and segregating ballots until valid identification is provided. Lastly, county election offices will also be required to update ballot materials and envelopes, modify various elections systems, and conduct voter outreach. State Spending The Department of State will have increased costs to inform voters of the changes to mail voting across the state and to reimburse counties. Specifically, the department will need to conduct an outreach and communication campaign at a cost of $100,000 in state budget year 2026-27 and $200,000 in state budget year 2027-28. The department will also have ongoing workload and costs for outreach and printed materials estimated at $20,000 for each presidential primary, statewide primary, and general election. As discussed above, the state will also have costs to reimburse counties for a portion of their costs under the measure. This reimbursement is estimated to be up to $1.1 million in during the 2026-27 budget year, and up to $500,000 for in future years. Historically, these costs have been paid using fees and other revenue collected by the department, rather than from the state General Fund. State Revenue To cover the costs in the Department of State discussed above, business filing fees may need to be raised to cover all or some of the costs of this measure. The fees affected, the timing of any increase, and the actual amount of fee charges will be set administratively by the department based on its available fund balance and total program costs.
1) Additional voter verification for mail ballots strengthens election security while preserving convenient access to voting. Government-issued identification documents are more consistent and less subjective than the current signature verification process. Most voters already have an eligible identification card, or know their social security number. If a voter does not have one of the required forms of identification to complete their mail ballot, they can choose to vote in person using several identification options. Adding a convenient form of additional verification for mail ballots promotes public confidence that ineligible ballots will not be counted.
Colorado Legislative Council Staff (Blue Book; arguments are prepared by nonpartisan staff with public comment, not signed by proponents)
1) The measure adds an unnecessary burden to voting, without meaningfully improving election security. The measure could result in eligible voters’ ballots not being counted due to minor mistakes when submitting their mail ballot. Further, voters who have privacy concerns about providing sensitive information when submitting their ballot or who are unable to produce the required identification will be discouraged from using mail ballots, which is Colorado's most commonly used and convenient method of voting. The current signature verification process is effective, secure, and convenient for voters and it successfully identifies the rare cases when ineligible individuals attempt to submit a mail ballot.
Colorado Legislative Council Staff (Blue Book)
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.