In America, the vast majority of us believe voters should pick our leaders — leaders should not get to pick which eligible voters are allowed to vote. 

This fundamental principle of our democracy is under attack. The Trump regime has been implementing a barrage of tactics in their attempt to keep certain people from voting, including closing polling places and removing ballot boxes in specific neighborhoods, and trying to stop the US Post Office from sending some of us our ballots.

By preventing eligible voters from voting, Trump is trying to control the outcome of our elections, declare themselves the winner, and hold onto power regardless of the will of the people. 

A massive voter turnout and early voting will be key to protecting our vote. A strong turnout will likely mean candidates and ballot measures are decided by a large margin, making it harder for bad actors to manipulate the results. 

Early voting is critical for several reasons. In Colorado, ballots are processed as soon as they’re received by each county clerk’s office. When a significant number of voters cast their vote well in advance of Election Day, results are determined more quickly on Election Night, which means less time for bad actors to push false narratives about the results. 

Early voting also helps protect our vote should something unexpected arise on Election Day, or in the days leading up to it, that keeps us from voting.

Once the county clerk’s office marks your ballot as received, you’ll be removed from voter contact lists, which allows campaign workers and volunteers to focus their energy on contacting people who need extra encouragement to vote. By voting early and removing yourself from those lists, you’ll also stop being bothered by calls and texts urging you to vote.

One challenge facing Colorado voters this year is the length of our ballot, including 14 state-wide ballot measures. Typically, citizen groups get initiatives onto the ballot by relying on volunteers, who are motivated by the cause, to collect the required number of signatures. This year, eight ballot initiatives were bankrolled by the far-right, dark-money group Advance Colorado, which spent millions of dollars hiring professional signature-collectors. 

Advance Colorado also funds think tanks that produce academic-looking research to validate their far-right, Project 2025-aligned agenda: expand ICE power in Colorado, block clean energy policy, and cut taxes for ultra-rich Coloradans.

As investigative reporter Logan Davis has uncovered, ultra-wealthy donors have used Advance Colorado to obscure the fact that they are bankrolling these eight ballot initiatives. Instead of writing checks directly to ballot campaigns, they write checks to foundations, which fund nonprofits, which fund Advance Colorado.

As a result, the majority of initiatives on our ballot this year are aimed at serving the interests of billionaires at the expense of working Coloradans. The Colorado Times’ Who is Advance Colorado website identifies the eight initiatives driven by this dark money group.

Questions about retaining judges often delay voters as well. You can find recommendations from judicial boards and citizen boards in the 2026 Bluebook. Don’t let your indecision on how to vote on judges keep you from returning your ballot as soon as possible.

Garfield County makes voting early easy. You can drop your ballot in any of the ballot boxes located in each town. They’ll be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Using a ballot drop box is ideal for early voting, but you can also vote in person or mail your ballot. (Remember to include postage and allow two weeks for your ballot to arrive. Postmarks don’t count.)

Early voting will be the focus of the next No Kings national day of action. On Saturday, October 17, non-violent, non-partisan No Kings: Vote Early events will take place across the nation, with the goal of celebrating the power of our vote and making sure every eligible voter has a plan to vote early. 

A local No Kings: Vote Early event is scheduled for 4:00 at Sayre Park in Glenwood Springs. It’ll include live music, door prizes, and resources for helping to get out the vote. Everyone who believes in free and democratic elections is encouraged to attend.

We can all contribute to a massive, early voter turnout this year. We can remind our friends and family to check their voter registration to make sure they’re prepared to vote; spread the word about the importance of early voting; encourage folks to sign up for BallotTrax, so they’re notified right away if an issue arises with their ballot; join the October 17 No Kings:Vote Early event and bring along some friends.

Every American voter deserves the freedom to have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives. Let’s get to work protecting that freedom. Ballots will start arriving in less than three weeks.

Debbie Stone Bruell of Carbondale is co-founder of Mountain Action Indivisible, former chair of the Garfield County Democrats, and a past member of the Roaring Fork Schools Board of Education.