Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold announces 2023 legislative priorities
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold's office has issued a release highlighting her legislative priorities for the 2023 Colorado Legislative Session.
The release state's Griswold's priorities are focused on fortifying and defending Colorado’s democracy and helping Coloradans throughout the state achieve their American dream.
“Colorado is a state where every person can achieve their American dream, from starting a new business to making their voice heard at the ballot box. But across the nation, anti-democratic forces continue to destabilize the nation – threatening Americans’ fundamental rights and putting the American dream at risk,” said Secretary Griswold. “This legislative session, I am proud to champion legislation to strengthen Colorado’s election model, fortify our democratic institutions, and make business ownership affordable and efficient for hard working Coloradans.”
The statement from Secretary Griswold's office focuses on the 2023 Colorado Votes Act, which it says increases access, improves administration, and addresses emerging threats to democracy.
According to the release, the 2023 Colorado Votes Act includes the following provisions:
Preventing Delays in Ballot Counting: Voters in Colorado and national observers rely on and expect election results to be reported in a timely and consistent manner. This provision in the Colorado Votes Act will require all counties to post results at specified times on election night and require counties with over 10,000 voters to begin tabulating ballots at least four days before election day. These changes will ensure that counties do not fall behind and the public receives as much information on election night as possible.
Stopping the Abuse of Recounts: The 2023 Colorado Votes Act will ensure that discretionary recounts are not exploited to spread disinformation and slow down election administration. This provision will allow discretionary recounts if the margin of victory in the race is within 2%. Currently, 12 other states have an upper threshold at which a candidate cannot request a recount; 2% is at or above the threshold of nine of those states.
This provision will modernize and clarify Colorado’s discretionary recount process with several administrative reforms such as: clarifying when a recount can be requested, changing how counties provide cost estimates to interested parties, and necessary changes to comply with the Electoral Count Act. These reforms will ensure all candidates are given a fair opportunity to pay for a recount, allow recounts to start sooner, give candidates more time to pay for recounts, and eliminate unnecessary recounts that only place unnecessary demands on Colorado’s dedicated election workers.
Improving Access for Voters on Tribal Lands: The 2023 Colorado Votes Act will establish a process to allow Tribal Membership lists to be used for automatic voter registration. The provision would also guarantee early voting on Tribal lands on the Friday, Saturday, and Monday before an election, as well as on Election Day. These changes made in partnership with the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes will help reverse the historical voter suppression of Native voters, and further improve voting access for Native Americans in Colorado.
