Signed by Governor Jared Polis

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that establishes protections for voters who are members of a protected class and authorizes voters to file civil suits relating to voter discrimination.

Highlights:

• Requires each major political party to include a process for voting in primaries that does not require in person attendance, and which allows participation to the same extent as those voting in person (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits election-related or electioneering activity within 100 feet of a ballot drop-box (Sec. 3-8).

• Requires reservations of Native American tribes to provide a ballot drop box within its boundaries for general elections (Sec. 4).

• Requires posted notice at each adult or elder care or living facility, including the following (Sec. 6):

• Information on voter registration, voting rights, and accessibility accommodations available for voting;

• Contact information for the Secretary of State Accessibility Coordinator; and 

• Direction to county election websites for information on drop boxes, voter service, and polling centers.

• Establishes the Colorado Voting Rights Act which declares discrimination in voting and voter turnout as statewide concerns (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from acting in a manner that creates a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voting access and voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites to voting based on an individual’s actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites or unnecessary burdens to voting based on an individual’s confinement to a local jail (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes individuals or organizations who are aggrieved by a violation of this Act to file suit in the district court where the alleged violation occurred (Sec. 11).

• Requires an individual or organization to provide a notification letter containing the alleged violation and a statement of facts to support the allegation prior to bringing civil action against a political subdivision (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes political subdivisions to adopt a resolution following a notification of violation which identifies a solution and a plan to implement the solution (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that the adoption of a resolution by a political subdivision following a notification of violation does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an aggrieved individual or organization may still bring civil action against a political subdivision if the solution identified in the resolution does not remedy the alleged violation (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an individual or organization who brings a civil case against a political subdivision establishes a Prima Facie case of voter suppression if they show, by a preponderance of evidence, that the challenged action resulted in a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Requires the Secretary of State to collect and maintain the following data electronically (Sec. 11):

• Annual estimates of total population, voting age population, and citizen voting age population by race, ethnicity, language minority group, and disability status for each political subdivision;

• Election results at the precinct level; and

• Locations of voter service and polling centers, polling locations, ballot drop boxes, and ballot drop-off locations for each election in each political subdivision, if available.

• Authorizes the Attorney General to independently initiate and bring civil and criminal actions to enforce the Colorado Voting Rights Act (Sec. 12).

• Requires municipalities of at least 3,000 people to provide multilingual ballot access (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that establishes protections for voters who are members of a protected class and authorizes voters to file civil suits relating to voter discrimination.

Highlights:

• Requires each major political party to include a process for voting in primaries that does not require in person attendance, and which allows participation to the same extent as those voting in person (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits election-related or electioneering activity within 100 feet of a ballot drop-box (Sec. 3-8).

• Requires reservations of Native American tribes to provide a ballot drop box within its boundaries for general elections (Sec. 4).

• Requires posted notice at each adult or elder care or living facility, including the following (Sec. 6):

• Information on voter registration, voting rights, and accessibility accommodations available for voting;

• Contact information for the Secretary of State Accessibility Coordinator; and 

• Direction to county election websites for information on drop boxes, voter service, and polling centers.

• Establishes the Colorado Voting Rights Act which declares discrimination in voting and voter turnout as statewide concerns (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from acting in a manner that creates a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voting access and voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites to voting based on an individual’s actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites or unnecessary burdens to voting based on an individual’s confinement to a local jail (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes individuals or organizations who are aggrieved by a violation of this Act to file suit in the district court where the alleged violation occurred (Sec. 11).

• Requires an individual or organization to provide a notification letter containing the alleged violation and a statement of facts to support the allegation prior to bringing civil action against a political subdivision (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes political subdivisions to adopt a resolution following a notification of violation which identifies a solution and a plan to implement the solution (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that the adoption of a resolution by a political subdivision following a notification of violation does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an aggrieved individual or organization may still bring civil action against a political subdivision if the solution identified in the resolution does not remedy the alleged violation (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an individual or organization who brings a civil case against a political subdivision establishes a Prima Facie case of voter suppression if they show, by a preponderance of evidence, that the challenged action resulted in a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Requires the Secretary of State to collect and maintain the following data electronically (Sec. 11):

• Annual estimates of total population, voting age population, and citizen voting age population by race, ethnicity, language minority group, and disability status for each political subdivision;

• Election results at the precinct level; and

• Locations of voter service and polling centers, polling locations, ballot drop boxes, and ballot drop-off locations for each election in each political subdivision, if available.

• Authorizes the Attorney General to independently initiate and bring civil and criminal actions to enforce the Colorado Voting Rights Act (Sec. 12).

• Requires municipalities of at least 3,000 people to provide multilingual ballot access (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes protections for voters who are members of a protected class and authorizes voters to file civil suits relating to voter discrimination.

Highlights:

• Requires each major political party to include a process for voting in primaries that does not require in person attendance, and which allows participation to the same extent as those voting in person (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits election-related or electioneering activity within 100 feet of a ballot drop-box (Sec. 3-8).

• Requires reservations of Native American tribes to provide a ballot drop box within its boundaries for general elections (Sec. 4).

• Requires posted notice at each adult or elder care or living facility, including the following (Sec. 6):

• Information on voter registration, voting rights, and accessibility accommodations available for voting;

• Contact information for the Secretary of State Accessibility Coordinator; and 

• Direction to county election websites for information on drop boxes, voter service, and polling centers.

• Establishes the Colorado Voting Rights Act which declares discrimination in voting and voter turnout as statewide concerns (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from acting in a manner that creates a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voting access and voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites to voting based on an individual’s actual or perceived gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation (Sec. 11).

• Prohibits political subdivisions from imposing prerequisites or unnecessary burdens to voting based on an individual’s confinement to a local jail (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes individuals or organizations who are aggrieved by a violation of this Act to file suit in the district court where the alleged violation occurred (Sec. 11).

• Requires an individual or organization to provide a notification letter containing the alleged violation and a statement of facts to support the allegation prior to bringing civil action against a political subdivision (Sec. 11).

• Authorizes political subdivisions to adopt a resolution following a notification of violation which identifies a solution and a plan to implement the solution (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that the adoption of a resolution by a political subdivision following a notification of violation does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an aggrieved individual or organization may still bring civil action against a political subdivision if the solution identified in the resolution does not remedy the alleged violation (Sec. 11).

• Specifies that an individual or organization who brings a civil case against a political subdivision establishes a Prima Facie case of voter suppression if they show, by a preponderance of evidence, that the challenged action resulted in a disparity between members of a protected class and other eligible electors in regard to voter participation (Sec. 11).

• Requires the Secretary of State to collect and maintain the following data electronically (Sec. 11):

• Annual estimates of total population, voting age population, and citizen voting age population by race, ethnicity, language minority group, and disability status for each political subdivision;

• Election results at the precinct level; and

• Locations of voter service and polling centers, polling locations, ballot drop boxes, and ballot drop-off locations for each election in each political subdivision, if available.

• Authorizes the Attorney General to independently initiate and bring civil and criminal actions to enforce the Colorado Voting Rights Act (Sec. 12).

• Requires municipalities of at least 3,000 people to provide multilingual ballot access (Sec. 14).

Full Bill Text