Yesterday, the Colorado state legislature approved a bill that will expand voter rights in the state. The bill would provide every voter a mail-in ballot, allow same-day voter registration, create a statewide voter database, and replace assigned precincts with general “voter centers.”
The bill which passed in the state Senate with a vote of 20 to 15 and in the state House with a vote 36 to 26, received no votes from Republican lawmakers in either chamber. The bill, called the “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act,” was drafted with help from the bi-partisan Colorado County Clerk Association, which supports it. The Conservatives argued that the bill would allow voter fraud, and a ploy to get more Democratic votes. Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) called the bill a “partisan power play.”
State Senator Angela Giron (D-Pueblo) argued in the Senate, “It’s a technical bill that was written by the county clerks…They’re the ones who know, and they’re the ones who are going to be held accountable every day when people come in to register and vote in county elections. I trust that.”
Now, the bill will go back to the House to approve minor changes made by the Senate. If the changes are approved, the bill will be sent to Governor John Hickenlooper.
