The Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee advanced HB 26-1113, a wide-ranging elections bill, to the Committee on Appropriations after adopting six amendments on a party-line 3-2 vote. Supporters argued the bill strengthens access and integrity amid federal threats to mail voting, while opponents raised election security concerns and objected to the removal of a citizen voter registration challenge process.
John Grabowski of the Colorado Institute for Fair Elections opposed the provision he described as repealing the ability of any registered elector to challenge another's registration for illegal or fraudulent registration, calling it 'an insult to voters and an assault on basic voter rights' and asking the committee to strike it. Allie Belknap of Colorado Common Cause had characterized the bill's related amendments as 'clarifying the process for challenging someone else's voter registration' with 'the right legal guardrails.'
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“Colorado. This is certainly a bill that has had lots of conversation about it. This legislation will strengthen our election systems and safeguard against federal threats, which is even more timely today after last week's executive order around mail in ballots. Colorado has gold standard elections and one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. This is in part because we have continuously passed legislation to protect our democratic process, strengthen voter participation and fortify our elections, including through mail and voting, same day”
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Sign in to subscribeThank you Mr. Vice Chair and Members for your consideration of House Bill 1113, which was formed in consultation with a bipartisan group of county clerks, the Secretary of State's office, the Attorney General's office and election stakeholders from across Colorado. This is certainly a bill that has had lots of conversation about it. This legislation will strengthen our election systems and safeguard against federal threats, which is even more timely today after last week's executive order around mail in ballots. Colorado has gold standard elections and one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. This is in part because we have continuously passed legislation to protect our democratic process, strengthen voter participation and fortify our elections, including through mail and voting, same day voter registration and accessible 24 hour drop boxes. This bill builds upon that work by extending voting windows through sending ballots earlier, allowing polling centers to stay open longer and opening dropboxes sooner. It also increases the number of dropboxes and visibility at higher education institutions, institutions helping to encourage our young folks to vote. And finally, it also enacts cleanup measures related to election judges, clerks and ballot access. This bill will continue…
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