COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Republican vice presidential candidate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, will be back in Colorado again Wednesday evening for another campaign stop in Colorado Springs.

He and his running mate, Donald Trump, have embarked on a last-minute blitz of classic swing states and other states that have suddenly become toss-ups ahead of the polarizing Nov. 8 General Election.

Pence will make three stops in Ohio Tuesday before heading to Reno, Nevada, Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs Wednesday.

His event in Springs will be held at 7 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Event Center. Tickets are available here.

Trump is campaigning in Florida Tuesday before he heads to Washington, D.C. Wednesday to officially open his new Trump International Hotel. He’ll then fly to North Carolina for a Wednesday evening rally in Kinston before spending Thursday campaigning in Ohio.

But Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he will “see [Colorado] soon,” though no official trips to Colorado are listed on his campaign website.

Get your ballots in Colorado – I will see you soon — and we will win!#MakeAmericaGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/oDLvZg7MLk

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2016

The Trump campaign has campaigned extensively in Colorado in the past two months as it continues to believe it has a chance to win the state, which is a classic “purple state” that votes Democrat and Republican fairly equally.

But the most recent polls show states that are usually Republican strongholds, like Nevada, Utah and Ohio, are slipping from Trump’s grip in the final weeks of the election.

DENVER – State and local election authorities began mailing ballots out to registered Colorado voters Monday ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

In Colorado, every registered voter will receive a mail ballot, but those mail ballots can be surrendered if someone decides to vote in-person at a polling center instead.

Both major presidential campaigns on Monday sent out statements urging Coloradans to vote for their respective candidates. The Clinton and Trump campaigns each also had surrogates campaigning in the state Monday.

Through Oct. 3, state records showed 3,125,919 people were registered to vote in the state.

WHEN DO I NEED TO REGISTER BY?

People are eligible to vote if they are at least 18 years old on Nov. 8; are a U.S. citizen; have lived in Colorado for at least 22 days before the election date; and are not serving a jail or prison sentence for a felony conviction. Felons can vote pending completion of their parole and people on probation can vote, though ex-offenders are encouraged to re-register.

In Colorado, people can register to vote all the way up to on Election Day, but there are some restrictions.

People who have a Colorado ID or driver’s license can register online by clicking here. A mail-in application is available at the same link.

Anyone who uses either the online or mail-in registration tool at least eight days before the election will receive a mail-in ballot. Be sure to sign your envelope the ballot is returned in.

Mail-in ballots are required to be received by your local county clerk at or before 7 p.m. Nov. 8. The USPS and Secretary of State’s Office both advise voters mail in their ballots by Nov. 1 to ensure it is delivered on time.

If you register within the eight days prior to the election, you will be registered, but will have to visit a state service or polling center in order to get a ballot.

There are also further restrictions for those who register through a voter drive: anyone who registered through a drive must do so at least 22 days before the election or you won’t receive a mail-in ballot. This means Monday, being 22 days before the election, is the last day to sign up through a voter drive.

If you wish to register on Election Day, you’ll have to do so at a polling place. Anyone who votes or registers to vote if they are ineligible faces a fine of up to $5,000, up to 18 months in jail, or both.

WHAT CAN I DO/WHAT WILL I NEED ON ELECTION DAY?

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on Monday sought to tamp down notions made by Donald Trump that the election will be “rigged” and that there will be widespread voter fraud, noting extensive precautions taken by the office and county clerk’s offices around the state to prevent fraud.

Colorado law prohibits any campaigning within 100 feet of a polling place in order to stop electioneering and voter intimidation. Voters are also barred from wearing any memorabilia for a candidate or party.

There will be poll watchers at some voting locations. Those people are certified by political parties, unaffiliated candidates and both proponents and opponents of certain ballot questions.

Anyone voting at the polls will have to bring forms of identification, and people voting by mail for the first time may need to provide a photocopy of their identification when mailing back their ballot, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Per the office, these are the acceptable forms of ID that can be used in voting:

• A valid Colorado driver’s license or valid identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue. (Note:  documents issued to not lawfully present and temporarily lawfully present individuals under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S. are not acceptable forms of identification.)
• A valid U.S. passport.
• A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government or of Colorado, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of Colorado.
• A valid pilot’s license issued by the federal aviation administration or other authorized agency of the U.S.
• A valid U.S. military identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector.
• A copy of a current (within the last 60 days) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector.
• A Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native Blood.
• A valid Medicare or Medicaid card issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate for the elector.
• Certified documentation of naturalization.
• A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by an institute of higher education in Colorado, as defined in section 23-3.1-102(5), C.R.S..
• A valid veteran identification card issued by the U.S. department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration with a photograph of the eligible elector.
• A valid identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government certifying tribal membership.
• Any form of identification listed above that shows your address must show a Colorado address to qualify as an acceptable form of identification.
• Verification that a voter is a resident of a group residential facility, as defined in section 1-1-104(18.5), C.R.S.
• Verification that a voter is a person committed to the department of human services and confined and eligible to register and vote shall be considered sufficient identification of such person for the purposes of section 1-2-210.5, C.R.S.

These forms of ID are not acceptable:

• A driver’s license or identification card issued to not lawfully present and temporarily lawfully present individuals under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S.
• Any document produced by Colorado’s statewide voter registration system.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS

To register to vote online, find whether or not you’re already registered, withdraw your registration or change your name on your voter registration, click here.

Find your county election office and county clerk here. Some county sample ballots are available on the county clerks’ websites.

Find your election fact sheet from the Secretary of State’s Office here. Frequently asked questions about the election can be found here.

For more information on election rules and laws, and further resources, click here.

Ballotpedia has compiled a large list of all the statewide races and ballot measures for Nov. 8. Click here to view.

DENVER – A new political ad paid for by a Washington, D.C.-based group shows Gov. John Hickenlooper telling viewers about four candidates he wants elected to the state Senate.

The governor touts Rachel Zenzinger, Daniel Kagan, Jenise May and Tom Sullivan for their respective Senate seats.

Republicans currently hold a one-seat advantage in the state Senate – 18-17. The races highlighted in the ad are likely to determine if Democrats regain control.

Zenzinger is taking on current state Sen. Laura Woods in District 19, which covers Arvada and Westminster. Libertarian Hans Romer is also in the race.

In 2014, Woods beat Zenzinger by 663 votes as a different Libertarian candidate got more than 3,600 votes.

In Cherry Hills’ District 26, current state Rep. Kagan is taking on former Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Doty.

In District 27 in Aurora, Tom Sullivan, who is the father of Aurora theater shooting victim Alex Sullivan, is challenging current state Sen. Jack Tate.

And in District 25, in northeastern Adams County, former state Rep. Jenise May is taking on current state Rep. Kevin Priola. When May lost her House seat in 2014, it was by only 106 votes.

The organization that paid for the ad, America Votes, sent Denver7 a statement regarding the ad Friday afternoon:

“America Votes is committed to ensuring the best quality of life for every Coloradan. We need champions to advance and protect the strides we have made in Colorado in recent years – from fighting for pay equity and economic equality to protecting laws that have made voting more accessible – it is critical that voters know which state Senate candidates stand for these issues and that Governor John Hickenlooper stands with them.”

DENVER – Now that ballots have been mailed to all registered Colorado voters, many of you are probably wondering if there is any way to keep track of your ballot once it’s mailed back.

While the Secretary of State’s Office has a website where you can register to vote, you can also check your ballot status there and find your polling location.

But Denver and Boulder counties have gone a step further and created ballot-tracking software that will show you exactly where your ballot is after it’s mailed back.

The Denver Elections Division uses a program called Ballot TRACE, which uses the U.S. Postal Service’s barcode technology to track a ballot envelope from its printing, to its delivery to your home, and then back to the elections division after it is mailed back.

If you sign up for Ballot TRACE, you can also sign up for automatic updates via email or text messages. Updates are also available on the elections division’s website.

Sign up for Ballot TRACE by clicking here.

Boulder County has a similar system called Ballot Track, which follows your ballot through the process and keeps you updated on its status as well. The system is nearly identical to the one utilized in Denver.

Boulder County residents can sign up to track their ballots here.

For more information on everything you need to vote in the 2016 General Election, click here.

DENVER – The issue of corporate personhood is being brought up in regards to Colorado’s ballot initiatives and a mailer sent out by a Denver business nonprofit that ended up in the inbox of thousands of its subsidiary employees.

A Reddit user on Wednesday morning posted a business ballot guide from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce that was allegedly passed on to 13,000 employees of HealthONE that outlines the stance of the chamber on several state and local ballot initiatives.

Some users took issue with the mailer being sent to employees, calling it “propaganda” and “completely inappropriate.” Some wondered it if violated electioneering or voter intimidation laws.

But when looking at state and federal electioneering and voter intimidation laws, it does not appear any have been violated by either organization.

NONPROFITS ALLOWED TO SUPPORT BALLOT INITIATIVES

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that is an exempt organization under IRS code. The chamber’s website says its membership includes 3,000 businesses and 300,000 employees in the metro area.

To qualify as a 501(c)(6), the chamber has to “promote the common economic interests of all the commercial enterprises in a given trade community,” according to the IRS.

Under Colorado campaign finance laws, 501(c)(6) organizations are allowed to support ballot initiatives and do advocacy work in the Legislature, meaning the ballot guide is completely in line with state law.

Laura Giocomo, a spokeswoman for the chamber, said the organization hands out the guide at meetings and events, and noted the guide is also posted to the chamber’s website.

“Our goal is to put more Coloradans to work, so if policy or ballot issues tie back to [the Denver area’s] economic development or business environment…we take a look every year at every issue and make recommendations,” Giocomo said.

She said the chamber takes all the initiatives to its board, which votes on what measures to oppose or support.

On the ballot guide, the chamber urges its surrogates and their employees to follow its lead in opposing amendments 69 (ColoradoCare) and 70 (minimum wage increase); to support amendments 71 (constitutional amendment changes), 107 (restore primary elections) and 108 (allow unaffiliated voters to vote in primaries); to support SCFD Ballot Issue 4B (2018 reauthorization of 0.1 percent sales tax for arts and cultural organization funding); and to support DPS Bond 3B ($572 million in bond money) and Mill Levy 3A (property tax mill levy adding $56.6 million for school programming).

Under each initiative the chamber supports or opposes, it lists the reasons why.

The guide says the chamber opposes Amendment 69 “because of the staggering cost,” for instance.

Giocomo said the chamber opposes 69 over concerns it would affect the business community’s “ability to attract and retain the best people” and companies to the state because of what it says will be higher tax rates and undetermined costs.

“Of course we make that information available for members. They can do with it what they like,” Giocomo said. “These are tools to help educate them.”

As for HealthONE, the company is a limited liability corporation, according to state records, and is allowed to promote initiatives as well.

The company sent Denver7 a statement on the forwarding of the ballot guide Wednesday afternoon:

“On Tuesday we sent an email to all employees regarding upcoming ballot items. Our intent with the email, which included the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s views on these topics, was to provide information.  We often receive questions from employees about the issues, therefore we thought we would share information provided to us by the Chamber.  We regret any confusion or miscommunication this caused. We encourage employees to educate themselves on the issues.”

— HealthONE

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BY COMPANIES

Both nonprofits and corporations are allowed to contribute to ballot initiative measures, though there are rules barring them from contributing directly to individual candidates or stemming the amounts they are allowed to give.

And Colorado campaign finance records show both the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and HealthONE has provided financial support to political action committees whose support or opposition of certain initiatives are the same as the chamber’s.

The chamber has so far given Coloradans for Coloradans, the chief PAC opposing Amendment 69, $100,000 this year — $50,000 in January and $50,000 in July.

Coloradans for Coloradans has out-raised a pro-69 PAC by 5-to-1 so far this season. It has received the largest contributions from health care and health insurance companies opposed to Amendment 69, though many other people and organizations have also contributed to the PAC.

It has contributed a total of $200,247.50 to a PAC called Let Colorado Vote, which supports amendments 107 and 108. The chamber’s most recent campaign contribution was to the PAC, when it sent $100,000 over on Sept. 19.

And the chamber has given a total of $50,247.50 to two PACs supporting Amendment 71: it gave Protecting Colorado’s Environment, Economy, and Energy Independence $25,000 in June, then gave Raise the Bar – Protect Our Constitution, a total of $25,247.50 in July.

In total, the chamber has contributed $355,495 to various political action committees in 2016.

HealthONE has also been among the top contributors to Coloradans for Coloradans; it has contributed a total of $250,000 to the anti-Amendment 69 PAC through its various companies, including HealthONE System Support.

HealthONE also contributed $5,000 to Raise the Bar – Protect Our Constitution, which is a pro-Amendment 71 PAC, in September, but that contribution was returned two days later.

HISTORY OF COMPANY VOTING DIRECTIVES AFTER CITIZENS UNITED

The argument over whether or not employers should be allowed to direct their employees on how to vote is relatively new – such directives had not been allowed until the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission.

Until that decision, U.S. law forbid companies from using their money in political contributions and barred them from influencing their employees.

But several major companies, including Koch Industries and Westgate, have lobbied their employees – specifically in 2012 directives to not vote for Barack Obama for a second presidential term.

Others have focused specifically on issues that may be bad for a company’s business.

Legal experts say that while such directives are allowed under the First Amendment, they come on a slippery slope, as failing to follow the directives cannot be terms for an employee to be fired as that would fall into the boundaries of coercion.

A report from the University of Denver said that Citizens United and other decisions have “reshaped the rules of campaign finance and the roles of various actors in the electoral process.”

It should also be noted that several studies released in the past decade show employees often respect the political positions of their employers.

A 2011-12 report from BIPAC Market Research found people trust their employer as a source of information up to three times more than they trust political parties, news organizations or themselves.

And a 2012 report in the Harvard Business Review showed 52 percent of people thought their employer “should be active in promoting public policies favorable to their industries” in 2010. That same year, 46 percent of people surveyed said they wanted their employer to let them know about political issues that could affect their job or industry.

Anyone with questions or possible improprieties dealing with electioneering, coercion or possible voter intimidation is asked to report such conduct to the Colorado Secretary of State.

The full ballot guide can be seen below.