It's a big year in Colorado, with many important elected positions up for voting, from the Governor to the Attorney General to various state and local representative positions.

On June 30th, voters will decide who will represent each political party on the November General Election ballot during the state primaries. Candidates lay out their vision for the future and attempt to demonstrate why they are best suited for their positions, leading up to primary election day.

As faithful Catholics, it is our duty and obligation to shape the moral character of our community, state and country through voting.

Catholic Moral and Social Teaching, drawn from human reason and illuminated by Scripture, offers a consistent moral framework to guide our actions in the voting booth and hold our leaders accountable, especially lawmakers who share our Catholic faith.

As Pope Leo XIV just stated in his recent encyclical, "Today, the Social Doctrine of the Church ... is not an inert set of concepts, but a living corpus of truth that safeguards and interprets humanity's vocation to a full and just life" (Magnifica humanitas 3).

Our faith allows us to maintain a hierarchy of values when voting on candidates and issues during an election. All the values listed in the hierarchy are important; however, some are more foundational and therefore require greater priority.

It is the duty of each person's conscience to adhere to the objective truth, which is reflected in these values, to guide your vote.

Hierarchy of Values to Guide Voting as a Catholic

Sanctity of Life: Human life must be protected at all stages from conception until natural death.

Marriage and Family: Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who, together as husband and wife, may become father and mother to any children they produce.

Religious Liberty: Religious liberty is rooted in the dignity of the human person, including freedom of conscience and expression, and is central to the U.S. Constitution.

Economic Justice, Poverty & Welfare: Economic decisions should respect human dignity and express a preferential option for helping the poor and vulnerable through safety nets and opportunities for upward mobility.

Healthcare: Healthcare should be patient-centered, respect human dignity, protect life, promote the principle of subsidiarity, be affordable and assure conscience rights.

Immigration & Promoting Foreign Peace: Immigration policy should provide immigrants with basic human needs, including the ability to work, and should encourage pathways to citizenship. Promoting peace is essential in international relations.

Education: Parents are the primary educators of their children; therefore, education policy should empower parents with decision-making authority over their children's education to choose the best learning options for them.

Restorative Justice: Criminal justice reform should focus on preventing crime and caring for survivors of crime, while also offering those who commit a crime an opportunity to rehabilitate and effectively return to society.

Energy & Environment: Care for the environment and responsible use of energy resources stem from our duty to steward creation and provide for future generations.

Technology: Technology must respect human dignity and protect children.

To sign up to receive the latest political and legislative updates, join the Catholic Advocacy Network at cocatholic.org.

Tools for Discernment

If one of your candidates is an incumbent, you can find them and the bills they sponsor here: Legislative Directory

If you do not know your state districts (house/senate), check here: Find my Legislators

You can also visit the Colorado Catholic Conference (CCC) website and view our legislative priorities for the 2026 session, and see how your legislator, if they are an incumbent, voted on legislation, followed by the CCC.

All bills introduced have a record of action taken on them, including all votes, and can be found on the Colorado General Assembly website. This page lets you search bills and view voting results to track votes for incumbent candidates in your district.

Voting in Colorado

In Colorado, voting can take place in person at a voting center or drop box, or by mail.

For active registered voters, you will receive a primary ballot ahead of the June 30th election in the mail. This year, county clerks are allowed to start sending ballots on Monday, June 8th.

Check your voter registration at govotecolorado.gov by entering your name, ZIP code and date of birth. You may also register to vote or change your address online. There is no deadline to register. You can register before polls close on June 30th.

If you want to vote in person, hundreds of voting centers across the state will open by June 22nd. Contact your county clerk (find them here) for nearby voting center locations and hours.

If you vote by mail, your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on June 30th. If you have not mailed back your ballot by June 22nd, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office says to use a drop box or an in-person voting center.

You may sign up to use BallotTrax, the state's ballot tracking system, and you'll receive an email, text or both when your ballot is accepted.

All other general information can be found on the Colorado Secretary of State's elections page.