Secretary of State Jena Griswold Launches Language Assistance Hotline
Denver, October 14, 2022 - Beginning Monday, October 17, Colorado voters can call the Secretary of State’s Language Assistance Hotline for assistance with interpreting their ballot. The new hotline will allow Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese or Vietnamese speakers to receive real time translation of their ballot content from live interpreter. Additional languages are available for interpretation upon request.
“Voting should be accessible to every Colorado voter,” said Secretary 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 at the Department will connect with an interpreter to assist with translating the content of the ballot. Voters may also call their county clerk’s office or visit a voting center and speak to an election judge or county staff about using hotline.
In 2022, the Language Assistance Hotline is available to voters for the General Election beginning Monday, October 17, 2022, through Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, 2022. From October 17-November 4 the Hotline will be available during regular business hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. MT. On Monday, November 7 and Election Day, Tuesday, November 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 can still register to vote and update their voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov through October 31st in order to receive a ballot in the mail. After October 31st, Coloradans can 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 October 31st to ensure it is received by their county election official by November 8th. After October 31st voters should return their ballot to a drop box or voting center.
- Early voting begins on October 24th. Some locations will open earlier, with 411 drop boxes and over 350 voting centers available this year, voters can look up the closest locations, opening date, and hours at GoVoteColorado.gov.
- In person voting on Election Day, Tuesday November 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 the 8th day after the election (November 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
