Amendment 84, requiring voter signature and ID on Colorado mail ballots, projected to fail by AP

Amendment 84 failed in Colorado's election, according to the Associated Press. The amendment would have required voters to include the last four digits of their Social Security, driver's license, or Colorado identification card on their ballot envelope with their signature.

Signatures are how election officials verify eligible voters by comparing the signature on the envelope to signatures on file from election and driver's license records. If the signatures don't match, they contact the voter to make sure the signature is valid and the voter is eligible. If the person doesn't respond within eight days, the ballot doesn't count.

A CBS News poll found 80% of people support requiring photo identification to vote. In Colorado, all you need is a recent utility bill to get a ballot and a valid signature for it to count.

Supporters said Amendment 84 increases election security by requiring an additional form of verification that's not subjective like signatures. Most people, they say, have one of the eligible forms of identification, so it's not an inconvenience. They say the measure will reassure the public that ineligible ballots aren't being counted.

Opponents said it could result in eligible ballots not being counted. They say voters concerned about privacy will also be less likely to use mail ballots. Signature verification, they argue, is effective, secure, and convenient, and they say Amendment 84 creates an unnecessary burden.

In 2024, 92% of all ballots cast in Colorado were mail ballots.