Bayfield, Colorado Public Records

Colorado residents can register to vote online at www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/olvr/verifyNewVoter.xhtml through the Secretary of State's website. The process requires a valid Colorado driver's license or ID card. Mail registration must be completed 8 days before Election Day, though the state also permits Election Day registration in person at voter service and polling centers. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and residents of Colorado for at least 22 days. Municipal elections in the town fill positions for Mayor and Board of Trustees. The Mayor serves a four-year term, while the six-member Board of Trustees serves staggered four-year terms with three seats coming up for election every two years. These municipal elections take place in April of odd-numbered years, most recently in April 2025, with the next scheduled for April 2027. Candidate filing, local ballot measures, and municipal election results are managed by the town working alongside the Laplata County Clerk and Recorder. Information about candidates and local issues can be found at www.bayfieldgov.org or by contacting Town Hall at (970) 884-9544. Residents can locate their assigned polling place or voter service center by visiting www.govotecolorado.gov and entering their address, or by contacting the Laplata County Clerk's Elections Division. Colorado operates as a universal mail ballot state, meaning all active registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot approximately 18-22 days before each election. Voters may return ballots by mail with postage-free envelopes, at 24-hour ballot drop boxes located throughout Laplata County including in Bayfield, or in person at voter service centers. Ballot drop box locations in and near the community have included Bayfield Town Hall and the Bayfield Public Library at 811 Mill Street. The county leaned Democratic in recent presidential elections, though results vary significantly between Durango, which votes strongly Democratic, and rural areas like Bayfield, which tend to be more competitive or Republican-leaning. The entire Colorado General Assembly is up for election, including State Senate District 6 and State House District 58, which represent the Bayfield area. County offices on the ballot may include County Commissioner seats, Sheriff, Clerk and Recorder, Assessor, Treasurer, Coroner, and Surveyor, depending on the election cycle. Voters will also decide on state ballot initiatives and any local ballot questions referred by the town or La Plata County. Public election records in Colorado include voter registration lists, available with restricted information under § 1-2-227, and campaign finance disclosure reports for candidates and committees searchable at www.sos.state.co.us/campaign. Also available are candidate filings and statements, precinct-level election results, and ballot measures. The La Plata County Clerk and Recorder publishes detailed election results by precinct on the Laplata County website following certification. Individual voter history, showing which elections a person voted in but not how they voted since ballots are secret, is also public record and can be requested from the Clerk's office.