Lawmakers Take a Stand to Protect Colorado Election Integrity, Maintain Voter Access

Bipartisan Rejection of GOP Bill to Restrict Voting Rights

DENVER, CO - This afternoon, in a bipartisan move, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee acted to postpone indefinitely a bill that would threaten Colorado’s vote-by-mail system. The legislation, SB21-007, would pose a significant threat to Colorado’s election integrity by requiring voters to cast their ballots in person, and only allowing vote-by-mail if specifically requested by a voter.

Colorado’s automatic vote-by-mail system is hailed by advocates nationwide as the gold standard of transparent and accessible elections. This bill would result in a serious reversal of the election process that has worked so well for so long, weakening democracy and silencing the voices of Colorado voters.

“This bill is disguised as a provision to enhance election integrity, but in reality it would result in the erosion of our safe, secure, and accessible electoral process,” said Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver), Chair of the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. “This session, Democrats are introducing legislation that will ensure multilingual ballot access, implement ranked-choice voting in cities and counties if they desire, and ban county-level gerrymandering. We should spend our time enhancing the great system that we have in place, rather than trying to find solutions to problems that only exist in the minds of people who have been addled by conspiracy theories.”

According to the Colorado Secretary of State, 94% of Coloradans returned a mail ballot in last November’s record-setting General Election. To burden voters with the task of requesting a mail-in ballot would significantly reduce participation and jeopardize Colorado’s record-high turnout.

Non-partisan advocacy groups and local election officials alike welcomed the decision to reject the bill.

"At New Era, we believe in democracy that represents the people—and that is why we strongly oppose SB21-007,” said a spokesperson for New Era Colorado. “As an organization that engages heavily in elections, we have worked over the years to bring more access to historically disenfranchised communities in Colorado. Last election, young people in Colorado shattered records—turning out to vote at 70% and making up 27% of the vote share. This bill would restrict access and create barriers to voting and disenfranchise Coloradans who should have their voices heard. As a state, we need to work to strengthen our democracy—not hinder it and take steps back."

“Mi Familia Vota has worked tirelessly for years to ensure our communities, no matter their zip codes, race, or class are able to participate in our Democracy with safe and secure mail-in-ballots,” said Salvador Hernandez, Colorado State Director of Mi Familia Vota.  “Senate Bill 21-007 rolls back these efforts and protections, which would disenfranchise voters, especially latinx and voters of color which is why we strongly oppose this bill.”

“With our current system, every eligible voter receives a ballot to their home, ensuring that Colorado leads the nation in voter turnout with safe, effective, and accessible elections. Our democracy is strongest when we all participate that’s why I oppose SB 07 which creates an unnecessary burden on voters to request a mail-in ballot and will lower voter turnout as a whole,” said Paul Lopez, Clerk and Recorder City and County of Denver.