Ridgway, Colorado Public Records

The Ridgway Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for serving the city of Ridgway and its residents. The department works closely with the Ouray County Sheriff's Office to ensure the safety and security of the local community. Residents can access information about the Ridgway Police Department, including contact information, crime statistics, and public safety initiatives, through the city's official website. The Ouray County Sheriff's Office also provides additional law enforcement resources and support for Ridgway and the surrounding unincorporated areas of the county.

Ridgway voters are served by the Ouray County Clerk and Recorder's Office, which administers all federal, state, county, and local elections for the county. The office is located at 320 Sixth Avenue, P.O. Box 27, Ouray, CO 81427, phone (970) 325-4961 extension 3, and the website is www.ouraycountyco.gov/clerk-and-recorder. Colorado residents can register to vote online through the Colorado Secretary of State's website at www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/home.xhtml (GoVoteColorado.gov). Voter registration deadlines are 22 days before Election Day for mail registration and 8 days before Election Day for online registration; however, Colorado also offers same-day voter registration during the early voting period and on Election Day at Voter Service and Polling Centers. Acceptable forms of ID include a valid Colorado driver's license or ID card, passport, employee ID with photograph, pilot's license, U.S. military ID, Medicare or Medicaid card, certified copy of a birth certificate, or other government-issued documents. Ridgway holds municipal elections for Town Board of Trustees (six trustees) and Mayor in odd-numbered years, typically on the first Tuesday in April. The next Ridgway municipal election will be in April 2025, with candidates filing in January-February 2025. Information on local candidates, ballot measures, and election results is available through the Town Clerk at (970) 626-5308 and the Ouray County Clerk. Colorado is a mail-ballot state, meaning all registered voters automatically receive a ballot in the mail beginning 22 days before each election. Voters can return ballots by mail (postage-free), at 24-hour drop boxes located throughout the county (including locations in Ridgway), or in person at Voter Service and Polling Centers during early voting and on Election Day. To find ballot drop box locations and Voter Service Centers, Ridgway residents should visit the Ouray County Clerk's election page or call the office. Polling place lookup is available through the Colorado Secretary of State's website using the voter registration lookup tool. Public election records in Colorado include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes under C.R.S. § 1-2-227), campaign finance reports (searchable at www.sos.state.co.us/campaign), candidate filings and statements, ballot measures and titles, and precinct-level election results. In the November 2024 presidential election, Ouray County reported approximately 69% voter turnout with about 3,100 ballots cast out of approximately 4,500 registered voters; the county leaned Republican in most races consistent with rural Western Colorado voting patterns. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Ridgway and Ouray County voters will decide several significant races: Colorado does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026, but voters will elect the entire U.S. House of Representatives (Ridgway is in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District); Colorado's Governor and other statewide constitutional officers are elected in 2026 (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer); the Colorado General Assembly with state House and Senate seats (Ridgway is in State Senate District 5 and State House District 58); Ouray County Commissioner seats (three-member board with staggered terms); and Ouray County constitutional officers including Sheriff, Clerk and Recorder, Assessor, Treasurer, Coroner, and Surveyor. Local ballot measures and Ridgway Town Board elections may also appear if scheduled to coincide with the general election. Colorado voters can request absentee ballots (though all voters receive mail ballots automatically) and military/overseas voters have special provisions under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). For specific election information, ballot tracking, and voter services, contact the Ouray County Clerk and Recorder at (970) 325-4961 extension 3 or visit www.ouraycountyco.gov/clerk-and-recorder.