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Republicans on the committee vote to oppose bipartisan, common-sense measures to protect Colorado elections from insider threats
DENVER, CO – The House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to protect Colorado’s elections by a vote of 7-4.
“Colorado has the gold standard for elections and leads the way nationally when it comes to voter access and holding fair and secure elections,” said Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Denver. “This common sense legislation would hold people accountable when they break the law and tamper with our election equipment and would bar anyone convicted of election crimes from serving as an election official. These bipartisan reforms will stop insider threats and defend our democracy from ‘Big Lie’ conspiracy theorists who have used their positions to jeopardize our election security.”
“I am disappointed that my Republican colleagues opposed the bipartisan Colorado Election Security Act,” said Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood, chair of the House State, Civic, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. “By voting against this bill, Republican lawmakers are standing on the side of election deniers and extremists rather than supporting common sense protections against actions that jeopardize our elections and undermine our democracy.”
SB22-153, the Colorado Election Security Act, will improve election security by, among other measures, prohibiting anyone from serving as an election official if they have been convicted of any election offense or any offense or conspiracy to commit sedition, insurrection, treason, or conspiracy to overthrow the government.
SB22-153 also prohibits election officials or candidates from physically tampering with voting equipment, and from having access to or being present in a room with voting equipment without being accompanied by one or more persons with authorized access.
The Colorado Election Security Act further seeks to secure Colorado’s gold standard elections by improving training for clerks and election workers, and penalizes anyone who interferes with or obstructs the notification of a potential violation, or retaliates against someone providing notice.
The bill also prohibits accessing electronic equipment or a reporting system without authorization, makes knowingly publishing passwords or other confidential information a class 5 felony, and directs the District and Supreme Courts to expedite scheduling and issuance of final rulings of any orders in connection with a violation of election code.