Amendment 84: Mail Ballot Voter Identification
Statewide — all of Colorado
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Placed on the ballot by citizen initiative. The Blue Book lists 14 statewide measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot.[1][2]
The question on the ballot
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?[1]
For federal and statewide elections, requires voters to include, in addition to their signature, the last four digits of a Social Security number or a Real ID-compliant Colorado driver's license or ID number on the mail ballot. If the information is missing or does not match, the county must contact the voter, who has eight days after election day to correct it (including with a U.S. passport, military ID or tribal photo ID copy) or the ballot is not counted. It does not change ID rules for in-person voting. Passes with 55 percent of the vote. Fiscal impact: state and local spending up by up to $2.7 million in 2026-27 and $1.2 million annually afterward; about 45 percent of county costs would be reimbursed by the state, and business filing fees may be raised to cover state costs.[1]
A YES vote means
Requires voters to provide identification information with their mail ballot, in addition to their signature.
A NO vote means
Continues the current signature-only verification system for mail ballots.
The law today
Colorado uses signature verification for mail ballots: voters sign the return envelope and the county compares the signature with the one on file from election and driver's license records. If a discrepancy is found, two election judges of different political parties review it; if both agree the signature likely does not belong to the voter, the county contacts the voter, and the ballot is not counted unless the voter confirms their identity within eight days after election day. In 2024, 92 percent of ballots cast in Colorado were mail ballots (Blue Book).[1]
Official fiscal estimate
Per the Blue Book, state and local spending would rise by up to $2.7 million in 2026-27 and $1.2 million annually in later years. Counties would bear up to $2.5 million in 2026-27 and up to $1.2 million later, with about 45 percent reimbursed by the state; the Department of State would spend $100,000 (2026-27) and $200,000 (2027-28) on voter outreach plus about $20,000 per election on materials. Business filing fees may be raised to cover state costs.[1]
Arguments made for
- Blue Book argument for: "Additional voter verification for mail ballots strengthens election security while preserving convenient access to voting." It adds that "Adding a convenient form of additional verification for mail ballots promotes public confidence that ineligible ballots will not be counted."[1]
- Chuck Broerman, a Republican and former top elections official in El Paso County who co-filed the measure, said: "Colorado's elections work well — this proposal makes them stronger, using a very common form of identification."[6]
Arguments made against
- Blue Book argument against: "The measure adds an unnecessary burden to voting, without meaningfully improving election security." It adds that it "could result in eligible voters' ballots not being counted due to minor mistakes when submitting their mail ballot."[1]
- Scott Martinez, Denver's former city attorney and an election lawyer working with Defend Our Ballots, said: "This measure isn't a Colorado idea — it's a page out of a national playbook to make voting harder, wrapped in the language of security. Colorado voters can see through it."[6]
On record in support
Campaign money
The Voter Trust Initiative (backing Amendment 84) had raised $4.2 million through Sept. 30: $1 million each from A Public Voice and the American Jobs and Growth Fund, and $2.2 million from the Coalition for American Jobs & Growth, which is not legally required to disclose its contributors (Denver Gazette, Oct. 14, 2026). As of the Gazette's Sept. 25 report, Defend Our Ballots had reported no contributions, and Vote Common Sense, which opposes several measures including this one, had raised just under $500,000 overall.[5][4]
Research notes & limits
Source: the official 2026 Blue Book (Legislative Council Staff, nonpartisan), which gives the ballot title, the 'what your vote means' text, an analysis with arguments for and against, and the fiscal impact. Its 'for' and 'against' arguments are the staff's own summaries of the main arguments on each side, not statements from named campaigns; the booklet points to the Secretary of State's page for supporting and opposing organizations, which was not reviewed here. Ballotpedia is cited only for the certified-measure count. Ballotpedia notes a separate road-funding initiative was certified but withdrawn after its proponents reached an agreement with the state, so it is not on the ballot.
Sources · 6
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book) · Colorado Legislative Council Staff · 2026-09-10 Official record
- 2.Colorado 2026 ballot measures · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-18 Reference
- 3.Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 Ballot: information and contacts (registered issue committees) · Colorado Secretary of State Official record
- 4.Colorado ballot measure committees raise more than $20 million for 2026 election · Denver Gazette · 2026-09-25 News report
- 5.Voter ID, tax measures drive millions in Colorado spending · Denver Gazette · 2026-10-14 News report
- 6.Amendment 84 explained: ID numbers on Colorado ballots · The Colorado Sun · 2026-10-03 News report