Campaign & Candidate Resources

Who may appoint watchers?

Appointing authorities should fill out the Watcher Submission Form to submit watcher names to the Denver Clerk & Recorder, who will then verify watcher eligibility.

Appointing authorities should submit these names as soon as possible, on a rolling basis. There is no need to submit all watcher names at one time. Section 1-7-106, C.R.S. requires appointing authorities to submit these names to us no later than the Friday immediately preceding election day, to the extent possible. The Denver Clerk & Recorder’s ability to verify the eligibility of watchers after the Friday immediately preceding election day will be severely limited. If a watcher shows up during an election without their appointing authority sending their name, our office will not honor their certificate until and unless we have confirmed their eligibility and the authenticity of the certificate.

Appointing authorities are required to certify your watchers on the Colorado Secretary of State-approved Certificate of Appointment(PDF, 648KB). Appointing authorities complete the form and then provide it to their watchers.  Watchers are required to present this certificate at the location where they watch.  An election official or election judge will administer the oath when the certificate is first presented. Information on their certificate should match the information the appointing authority submitted in the Watcher Submission Form. Please note there is a unique Certificate of Appointment – Drop Box(PDF, 570KB) for any watchers appointed for drop boxes.

Any watcher who is appointed to observe drop boxes or wishes to observe activities where confidential or personally identifiable information is within view must take a Secretary of State-approved watcher training course and present their training certificate along with the Certificate of Appointment in order to engage in those activities. Please note that drop box watchers must present this in-person at our office prior to observing a drop box. They also need a drop box watcher badge issued by the appointing authority.

More details are found in the Watcher Guide(PDF, 345KB).

• Colorado Statute on Watchers
• Colorado Secretary of State Rules on Watchers
• SOS Table of Consanguinity(PDF, 13KB)

• If appointed by a party, watchers must be affiliated with that party or unaffiliated.
• If selected by an unaffiliated candidate, watchers must be unaffiliated.
• Ballot measure opponents and proponents must be registered as such with the Colorado Secretary of State if a state ballot issue, or with the Denver Clerk and Recorder if a local issue.
• Watchers need not be registered to vote in the county where they are watching, but must be registered to vote within Colorado.
• Candidates and family members may not be watchers in the precincts where the candidate is running for office (see SOS Table of Consanguinity(PDF, 13KB)).

Upon visiting a Voter Service and Polling Center or Ballot Processing Center, poll watchers must present a completed and signed Appointment Certificate to the supervisor. When the certificate is presented, the supervisor will administer the watcher oath. Both the supervisor and watcher must then sign the oath on the certificate.