A recent Colorado Politics article noted how Americans worry about the country’s future, driven, in part, by narratives that describe this year’s presidential elections in apocalyptic terms.   

Such framing inevitably misses the fact that politics, at its core, is local. Yes, federal policy shapes the contours of the country, often with global ramifications. But what often truly matters is the action of local government officials and the laws passed at the ballot box.

Local policy directly affects people’s wallets and livelihood. Notably, local officials decide how and where to allocate taxpayer dollars. If their decision is sound, the benefits that accrue for communities are real and often exponential.  

We hope that this voter guide will help you sort through this year’s electoral contests.       

Key dates to remember 

• Oct. 4: Counties begin issuing mail ballots to voters who request one in person at the clerk’s office.

• Oct. 11: First day that ballots are mailed to voters

• Oct. 21: The minimum number of required voting service and polling centers open

• Oct. 28: Last day for individuals to submit a voter registration application and get a ballot in the mail

• Nov. 5: Election day — the polls close at 7 p.m.

Find the voter guide here 

U.S. House of Representatives

Colorado state Senate

Colorado state House

State Board of Education

University of Colorado Regents

How we put together this guide 

Our journalists reached out to the candidates, and, along with information from official sources, notably the Secretary of State’s Office and and Colorado’s independent redistricting commissions, compiled the data to produce this guide. If there are any errors, please don’t to hesitate contact editors Luige del Puerto at luige.delpuerto@coloradopolitics.com and Thelma Grimes at thelma.grimes@coloradopolitics.com.  

How we cover the elections 

We value objectivity and strive to ensure that our election coverage is free from bias. While we encourage staffers to exercise their rights to engage in the democratic process, they do not endorse or contribute to campaigns or candidates. 

News and opinion are separate  

At Colorado Politics, we welcome diverse viewpoints on our opinion pages. Our newsroom does not take a position on issues and the viewpoints on our opinion pages do not reflect our news coverage.   

Support local journalism 

It takes significant resources to cover the elections. Would you support our work by subscribing to Colorado Politics? Your subscription allows us to pursue time-consuming projects, such as this voter guide, as well as other issues that shape our state. You may subscribe here.