Staff Report
Beginning Monday, Oct. 17, Colorado voters may call the Secretary of State’s Language Assistance Hotline for assistance in interpreting their 2022 election ballot. The new hotline will enable Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese or Vietnamese speakers to receive real-time translations of their ballot content from live interpreters. Additional languages are available for interpretation upon request.
“Voting should be accessible to every Colorado voter,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. “The new Language Assistance Hotline does exactly that by assisting Colorado citizens who may only speak or read limited English with live ballot interpretation.”
To access the hotline, voters may call the Secretary of State’s Office directly at 303-860-6970 and a staff member will connect callers with an interpreter. Voters may also call their respective county clerk’s office or visit a voting center and speak to an election judge or county staff about using the hotline.
In 2022, the Language Assistance Hotline is available to voters for the general election beginning Monday, Oct. 17 through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. From Oct. 17-Nov. 4 the hotline will be available during regular business hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. On Monday, Nov. 7 and Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, the hotline will be available from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Language Assistance Hotline is available to voters as a result of HB21-1011. Per Colorado Statute, interpretation services may only be provided for interpretation of the ballot content, and not on Bluebook content or to describe the measures. This includes providing instruction guidance on completing the ballot, such as:
- how to fill in ovals or make corrections,
- how to properly put the ballot in the ballot envelope and sign
- how to return the ballot by mail, drop box, or voter service and polling center
Election judges and staff may send a voter in need of assistance on other matters such as updating registration to other resources for additional information.
Eligible Coloradans may still register to vote and update their voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov through Oct. 31 to receive a ballot in the mail. After Oct. 31, Coloradans may still register to vote, receive a ballot, and vote in person at a voting center until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Important information for Colorado voters:
- All Colorado voters can sign up to track their ballot from sent to counted using BallotTrax.
- Eligible voters who wish to mail back their voted ballot should do so by Oct. 31 to ensure it is received by their county election office by Nov. 8. After Oct. 31, voters should return their ballot to a drop box or voting center.
- Early voting begins on Oct. 24. Some locations will open earlier, with 411 drop boxes and over 350 voting centers available this year, voters can find locations, opening dates, and hours at GoVoteColorado.gov.
- In-person voting on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8th, will be available from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Eligible voters must have returned their ballot to a drop box or voting center by 7 p.m. on Election Day or be in line to vote by 7 p.m. on Election Day for their ballot to be counted.
- Ballots cast by military and overseas voters must be sent no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day and received by close of business on Nov. 16.
Colorado voters can visit GoVoteColorado.gov to:
- Register to vote or update their voter registration
- Find their local county clerk
- Find their closest drop box or voting center
- Sign up to track their ballot using BallotTrax
- Find accurate election information
