SOUTHEAST SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado voters will decide this November whether to add a new identification requirement for mail ballots.
Amendment 84 would require mail voters to write the last 4 digits of their Social Security number or driver's license number on the outside of their ballot envelope.
The measure would apply to federal and statewide elections and would keep the existing signature requirement. Amendment 84 needs 55 percent of the vote to pass. The measure does not change identification requirements for people voting in person.
Supporters say the change adds another layer of verification.
"Signatures used to be the gold standard, and now everything that you see that has security attached to it is a two-factor authentication and one of those factors is always going to be something that's subjective,” said Suzanne Taheri one of the initiative's proponents.
She says signatures can change, particularly among younger and older voters.
“For older people, it's because I think their writing styles sometimes change as they get older. For younger people you don't sign that many documents," Taheri said.
Some voters say they may be open to the idea.
"As long as it's private, you know, not the whole world to see it. Yes, I'm OK with it," Princella Carvin said.
But opponents say Colorado already has a system for checking those signatures.
"I've worked as an election judge, it's been proven to be a reliable way to make sure these are valid ballots,” said Jessica Delos Reyes the executive director of Citizens Project. She says the added requirement could create another way for a legitimate ballot to be rejected.
“The thing is if you don't provide that information, your vote will not be counted, this is just going to keep more people away from voting and stoke even more distrust in a system that's actually very secure," Delos Reyes said.
Other voters say they see value in having another way to verify who's casting a ballot.
"Having something to show 'OK this is who I am and this is how I'm voting I was here today' uh just makes sense to me," Meg Provencher said.
For some, the concern is whether voters need to provide more personal information.
"We have already got our Social Security in the system as far as they know who we are, I feel like how many ways do we need to have our identifying name address phone number all the other things that we have?" Heidi Marquess said.
