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DENVER, CO – The State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed two bills to uphold the integrity of Colorado’s gold standard election system.
“Colorado is a national role model for safe, secure and accessible elections,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, sponsor of HB26-1113. “To protect against any federal attempts to undermine or interfere in our elections, we need to update our election process to make sure Colorado voters can cast their ballot without barriers. Our bill modernizes Colorado’s elections to improve voter access, especially for voters who take advantage of convenient ballot casting options, including mail-in or drop boxes. Coloradans are counting on us to protect and uphold the integrity of our elections, and this bill makes sure our elections remain the gold standard across the nation.”
“Our state has one of the best election systems in the country in part because we continuously update our laws to guard against new threats to our democracy,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, sponsor of HB26-1113. “Colorado administers gold standard elections that are safe and secure, and this bill makes important updates to Colorado law to ensure elections remain accessible for all voters. Whether you’re voting in person, using a ballot drop box, or mailing in your ballot, we’re reducing barriers to make voting easier. This bill safeguards voting access in Colorado so we can uphold our gold standard election system for generations to come.”
HB26-1113 passed committee by a vote of 8-3. This bill makes necessary modifications and updates to Colorado’s election system to ensure elections remain free, fair and accessible to voters. HB26-1113 extends voting windows by prohibiting polling centers from closing early and allowing them to stay open longer to accommodate voters. HB25-1113 also protects against election interference. For example, in the event the federal government attempts to weaponize the United States Postal Service to disrupt or delay the voting process, this bill protects the integrity of mail-in voting by extending the period during which mail-in ballots can be accepted.
Drop boxes make it easier for voters to return their ballot, and this bill extends the number of drop boxes at Colorado higher education institutions with at least 1,000 enrolled students. This bill also expands visibility of on-campus voting services and polling centers, and makes it easier for campus employees to vote in-person by extending the voting window and requiring swift approval of leave requests that pertain to voting. Additionally, if a vacancy occurs before a U.S. Senator can fulfill their term, HB26-1113 requires that vacancies be filled by a candidate in the same political party as their predecessor to respect electoral outcomes and encourage continuity.
“Knowledge is power, and Colorado voters deserve clear, transparent information about the impacts of what they are voting on, especially when it could force potential cuts to core services,” said Rep. Cecelia Espenoza, D-Denver, sponsor of HB26-1084. “This bill enhances transparency by showing voters how much each proposed measure would cost and what state services and programs it could impact. Under this bill, either provided proactively by the proponents or within the bill language, voters would receive the details they need to make informed decisions. Colorado’s elections are free, fair and accessible, and this bill gives voters the tools to help them make informed decisions.”
“It’s important we uphold Colorado’s gold standard elections and share as much information as possible with voters before they cast their ballot,” said Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver, sponsor of HB26-1084. “Coloradans deserve to know how a proposed ballot measure could impact K-12 education and health care, and this bill shares necessary information with Colorado voters. This bill ensures that voters have the resources at hand to understand the budgetary trade-offs of citizen-initiated ballot measures.”
HB26-1084 passed committee by a vote of 7-3. HB26-1084 aims to share information with voters about how much proposed ballot measures could cost the state and taxpayers, as well as the impacts on essential state services. Specifically, this bill would improve transparency by requiring that voters be informed of citizen-initiated ballot measures that increase state expenditures. This would only apply to referred ballot measures that do not identify sufficient revenue or specific state-run programs and services to be reduced to pay for the cost of the measure.
Under this bill, a ballot measure that increases state expenditures must include language identifying the three largest state programs and services by name that will be reduced if the ballot measure passes. This could include K-12 education, health care and the Department of Corrections (DOC). If signed into law, informative language would be added to the title of the measure and to the Ballot Information Booklet, also known as the Blue Book.
Colorado has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. Over the years, Colorado Democrats have worked to safeguard Colorado’s gold standard election system. Last year, Colorado Democrats passed the Colorado Voting Rights Act to codify stronger voter protections and expand access to voting information for historically excluded communities. Under this law, even if federal voting protections are rolled back, Colorado will still prohibit discriminatory election practices. Colorado Democrats also passed the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act last year to expand protections against intimidation, threats or coercion against voters and election officials.
Democrats in Colorado have also passed other bills to safeguard free and fair elections, including two laws from 2022 to prevent armed voter intimidation and insider election security threats and a 2021 law to improve ballot access for Coloradans with disabilities.