Agenda Date: 10/20/2026
Subject:
Title
Resolution 75-2026: A Resolution of the Littleton City Council opposing Amendment 84 which would require additional mail ballot information and urging its citizens to vote No on Amendment 84
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Reid B. Betzing, City Attorney |
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Presentations: |
Reid B. Betzing, City Attorney |
PURPOSE:
Staff have prepared information for City Council regarding Amendment 84, a citizen-initiated amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning identification requirements for mail ballots, that is part of the November 2026 statewide election.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
Amendment 84, if approved by voters in the November 2026 election, would amend the Colorado Constitution to require voters in federal and statewide elections to write the last four digits of their Social Security number, or their Colorado driver’s license or identification card number, on the outside of their mail ballot envelope, in addition to signing it.
Any Colorado identification used must be compliant with the federal Real ID law. If the number is missing or does not match the state voter registration database, the county election office must contact the voter, and the ballot will not be counted unless the voter corrects the problem within eight days after Election Day. Voters may cure by submitting a copy of an allowed identification, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military identification card, or a tribal photo identification card, and certain voters with disabilities and elderly voters may use a broader range of documents. The measure does not change identification requirements for voting in person.
Littleton residents, like voters across Colorado, overwhelmingly vote by mail. Statewide, 92 percent of ballots cast in 2024 were mail ballots, most of them returned to a drop box. Any Littleton voter who leaves the identification number off the envelope, writes it incorrectly, or whose number does not match state records would have to take an additional step after Election Day for their ballot to count. While this additional step would not be required for local elections or special elections it would be required for coordinated elections which is the majority of elections that the City of Littleton participates in.
BACKGROUND:
Colorado currently verifies mail ballots by signature. When a mail ballot is returned, the signature on the envelope is compared to the voter’s signature on file from election and driver’s license records. If a discrepancy is found, the signature is reviewed by two bipartisan election judges, and if both agree it likely does not belong to the voter, the county must contact the voter, who then has up to eight days after Election Day to confirm their identity before the ballot is rejected.
Amendment 84 was placed on the ballot by citizen petition. According to the State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book), supporters argue that government-issued identification numbers are more consistent and less subjective than signature matching and would promote public confidence that ineligible ballots are not counted. Opponents argue that the current signature verification process is effective and secure, and that the measure adds an unnecessary burden that could cause eligible voters’ ballots to go uncounted because of minor mistakes and discourage voters with privacy concerns from using mail ballots.
Prior Actions or Discussions
• This item was discussed briefly during City Attorney comments on September 22, 2026.
• Council discussed this issue during a regular meeting on October 6, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
According to the Legislative Council Staff fiscal analysis, Amendment 84 would increase state and local election spending by up to $2.7 million in the 2026-27 budget year and $1.2 million annually after that for voter outreach, printing, and election staff to verify voter information. County election offices would bear up to $2.5 million in the first year, about 45 percent of which would be reimbursed by the state, for additional election judge hours, voter notifications, ballot envelope and system changes, and outreach. A portion of those costs would be passed down to cities participating in coordinated elections.
Under the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act (C.R.S. § 1-45-117), the City may adopt a resolution taking a position on a ballot issue but may not otherwise spend public funds to urge voters to support or oppose it.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff acknowledge that confidence in elections is important and that supporters view an identification number as a more objective check than signature matching. However, Colorado’s current signature verification process, with bipartisan review and an opportunity for voters to cure, already identifies the rare cases of ineligible ballots. Amendment 84 would add a second requirement that could cause eligible Littleton voters’ ballots to go uncounted because of a missing or mistyped number, would ask voters to write sensitive identification information on the outside of an envelope, and would add millions of dollars in election costs, much of it borne by cities and counties. Placing these requirements in the constitution would also prevent the legislature from adjusting them if problems arise. Additionally, adding another voting requirement could have a disparate effect on certain voting groups leading to thousands of votes potentially going uncounted.
Staff recommends that City Council support a No vote on Amendment 84.
ALTERNATIVES:
• City Council may choose to take no position on Amendment 84.
• If Amendment 84 passes, Littleton voters would need to include an identification number with their mail ballots in federal and statewide elections, and the City may wish to provide factual information to residents about the new requirement.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 75-2026 opposing Amendment 84 which would require additional mail ballot information and urging its citizens to vote No on Amendment 84.