COLORADO — The Colorado General Assembly passed eight election-related bills during the 2026 regular session, which adjourned on May 13, 2026. Governor Jared Polis signed all eight bills between April and June 2026, including omnibus bill HB 1113.

HB 1113 revises several aspects of Colorado election law. The bill mandates that election officials mail ballots to voters between 29 and 25 days before an election. Previous state law required ballots to be mailed between 22 and 18 days before an election. Additionally, institutions of higher education using electronic course registration are now required to email students information about voting hours, locations, and ballot drop boxes before election day.

The new legislation also expands provisions for employees taking time off to vote. HB 1113 allows employees two hours off from work to vote on any day when voter service and polling centers are open. Prior Colorado law permitted employees time off to vote only on election day. Furthermore, the bill establishes requirements for counties to measure and record wait times at each voter service and polling center.

Counties must report wait time data to the secretary of state within 30 days after an election under HB 1113. If a polling place experiences wait times longer than one hour, the county is required to submit a report to the state. The bill also permits a registered voter to protest the registration of another voter if that person is not a citizen, is not at least fifteen years old, is deceased, or is no longer a resident of the state. HB 1113 outlines the procedures for filing and adjudicating such voter registration protests.

The Colorado Senate approved the final version of HB 1113 on May 4, 2026, with 23 Democrats voting in favor and 12 Republicans voting against. The Colorado House approved the bill on May 7, 2026, where 42 Democrats voted in favor and 22 Republicans voted against. Governor Polis signed HB 1113 on June 1, 2026.

Why It Matters

The passage and signing of eight election-related bills in Colorado in 2026 follows a pattern of legislative activity concerning election law in recent years. Colorado legislators enacted eight such bills in 2025, seven in 2024, and three in 2023. The changes introduced by HB 1113 include expanded early voting access through earlier ballot mailing and increased time off for voting. Requirements for voter information outreach by colleges aim to inform student voters, while new procedures for wait time reporting and voter registration protests introduce additional oversight and mechanisms for addressing voter eligibility concerns.