DENVER — Colorado lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill that would codify voter protections into state law.
Senate Bill 25-001, also known as the Colorado Voting Rights Act, would enshrine protections from the federal Voting Right Act into Colorado law and modify certain election-related statutes to ensure access to voting at the state and local levels. According to the legislation, impacted statutes involve:
- Voter registration related to voters who are members of Native American tribes;
- Ensuring voter access to methods of selecting candidates for the general election;
- Election and voting notices in facilities serving individuals with disabilities;
- Election-related language access; and
- Election-related data collection.
The bill also adds protections for LGBTQ+ Coloradans, ensuring they can’t be denied access to vote because of their “actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation."
- Watch our previous coverage of Senate Bill 25-001 in the video player below
In a previous interview with the Scripps News Group, State Rep. Jennifer Bacon (D-Denver), who sponsored the bill, called SB25-001 a "commitment to Coloradans."
“It is our commitment to the sanctity of voting and is our commitment to accountability. All people should be able to engage freely without worrying that they'd either be turned away or that their vote would be suppressed, or a community's vote would be diluted," Bacon said.
Dozens of community organizations voiced support for the bill, including Common Cause Colorado, which has been working to expand voting access since 1971.
“In this time of uncertainty and national instability, Colorado has the opportunity to act on its own to strengthen our right to vote," said Aly Belknap, executive director of Colorado Common Cause, in a statement Tuesday. “Colorado already leads the nation in secure and accessible elections. By passing the COVRA, we can keep our state at the forefront of democracy by dismantling voting barriers for historically disenfranchised communities and establishing a framework for other states to follow. Now, it’s up to Governor Polis to decide whether or not to protect and expand access to the ballot for all Coloradans.”
Politics
Colorado leaders push back against Trump's executive order aimed at elections
Some cities, including Aurora, have voiced concerns about the bill. The Colorado Municipal League, which represents cities across the state, argued that the bill could expose local governments to increased litigation and transform traditionally nonpartisan local elections into partisan contests.
“Local governments are really the last stronghold for non-partisanship in our government,” said Heather Stauffer, the advocacy manager at the Colorado Municipal League. “You don't have to be a Republican or a Democrat to fix a pothole in your community is what we always like to say.”
The bill now heads to Governor Jared Polis' desk.
