Can you vote with a felony in Colorado?

Q: Do you have to pay fines and fees before you can vote in Colorado?

Not required. The Secretary of State says payment of restitution 'is not a condition of voting eligibility.'

The short answer

After prison.

In Colorado, people lose the right to vote only while in prison for a felony. It comes back on release, including on parole or probation.

In Colorado, it is illegal to register or vote while serving a sentence of incarceration or detention for a felony conviction. Eligibility returns on the day of release, including for people on parole, and people on probation can vote. People who were registered before a felony incarceration must register again.²

Checked October 22, 2026 against 5 sources, starting with Colorado law, then by a second reader.

In prison for a felonyCan't vote^1,2
On paroleCan vote^1,2,3
On probationCan vote²
Sentence completeCan vote after registering again^1,2

Check with Colorado's election office

Before you register

Your state or county election office can confirm your own status, for free. Voting while ineligible can carry criminal penalties, so if anything about your case is unclear, ask them first. The general election is November 3, 2026; registration deadlines are on vote.gov.

How the right comes back

Automatically

The Secretary of State says 'the day you are released from detention or incarceration is the day your eligibility to register to vote is restored.' No official letter is sent; at the first meeting with the division of adult parole, the division must give the person information about their voting rights, how to register or update a registration, how to get and cast a ballot, and how to get voter information materials. A registration from before the felony incarceration will have been canceled, so the person must register again, online with a Colorado driver's license or state ID or with a paper form.^1,2

Fines, fees and restitution

Not required

The Secretary of State says payment of restitution 'is not a condition of voting eligibility.'²

Registering again

Yes

Once the right is back, Colorado requires a new voter registration before voting.²

Misdemeanors and jail

People in jail serving a sentence for a misdemeanor conviction can register and vote, according to the Secretary of State.²

People in jail awaiting trial can register and vote, and so can people on bond with a pending case, as long as they are not convicted and serving a sentence of confinement or detention for a felony at the time of the election (Secretary of State). The statute says a confined person who is awaiting trial or is not serving a sentence for a felony conviction may register (C.R.S. § 1-2-103(4)).^1,2

Convictions from another state or federal court

The Secretary of State says the right to vote is determined by the state where the person lives: a Colorado resident who has completed a sentence for a conviction from another state can vote, and it does not matter whether the conviction was in a state or federal court.²

What's changed

May 31, 2024: SB24-072, 'Voting for Confined Eligible Electors' (2024 Session Laws, ch. 298, effective May 31, 2024), requires each county sheriff to designate at least one person to help eligible people in the county jail or detention center register and vote, requires one day of in-person voting at each county jail or detention center, and requires the county clerk to check the Department of Corrections database to confirm that a confined person is not serving a felony sentence before registering them or letting them vote in person. It did not change who is eligible. The last change to eligibility was HB19-1266 (2019 Session Laws, ch. 283, effective July 1, 2019), which made people on parole eligible to register and vote.⁴

The law

C.R.S. § 1-2-103(4), as amended by HB19-1266 (2019 Colo. Sess. Laws ch. 283, § 3)
C.R.S. § 1-1-104(49.3) (definition of 'term of imprisonment', added by HB19-1266)
C.R.S. § 1-13-704.5 (penalty for illegal registration or voting, as cited by the Secretary of State)

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This page explains Colorado's general rules from its law and election office. It isn't legal advice, and a case can turn on the details of a sentence. The election office can confirm your status.

Spot something out of date? Tell us at contact@secondchanceindex.com.

Cite this page

Second Chance Index, "Can you vote with a felony in Colorado?" https://secondchanceindex.com/voting-rights/colorado, checked October 22, 2026.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 22, 2026.

C.R.S. § 1-2-103(4), as amended by HB19-1266 (2019 Colo. Sess. Laws ch. 283, § 3)
Voters with Convictions FAQsColorado Secretary of State
HB19-1266 Restore Voting Rights Parolees (bill summary, history and session-law table)Colorado General Assembly
SB24-072 Voting for Confined Eligible ElectorsColorado General Assembly
Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 BallotColorado Secretary of State