1-minute voter guide: Amendment 84 requires additional voter ID
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Four digits could decide whether a Colorado mail ballot counts under Amendment 84's proposed voter-identification requirement.
Why it matters: The amendment would change the rules for 90% of Colorado voters who cast ballots by mail.
State of play: Supporters call it an election-security upgrade, while opponents warn it could disqualify legitimate votes over paperwork mistakes.
- Nonpartisan legislative analysts estimate the price tag at $2.7 million in first-year state and local spending, and about $1.2 million annually afterward, for staffing, voter outreach and election materials.
- The measure needs 55% support to win because it changes constitutional language.
How it works: The measure would add a constitutional requirement that voters include the last four digits of their Social Security number or a Colorado driver's license or identification card number.
- The rule would apply to federal and statewide elections.
- A voter could correct missing or unmatched information within eight days after Election Day.
- The requirement would cover mail ballots returned through the mail or a drop box. It wouldn't change identification rules for voting in person.
Reality check: Voter fraud is rare in Colorado. The amendment would add to — not replace — existing signature verification.
What they're saying: Proponents argue a second identity check would strengthen confidence in elections without dismantling convenient mail voting.
- Opponents, including League of Women Voters of Colorado, Common Cause Colorado and Mi Familia Vota, argue the amendment creates new ways to reject eligible voters' ballots without meaningfully improving security.