by Michelle Morin
Colorado in Distress
The leftist petri dish gets murkier everyday here in Colorado. Our state will be called Commun-orado after this one passes.
The Colorado Legislature has dropped HB 13-1303 which is nothing more than government sanctioned voter fraud.
The bill is in its first House Committee as I write this today, April 15th. Among its many provisions, the bill does the following:
- It allows for same day voter registration,
- It eliminates the category of “inactive voter” requiring mail ballots to be sent to addresses that have not participated in the voting process opening these ballots to be fraudulently returned on the day of the election causing serious issues of ballot verification,
- It eliminates the time requirement for a person to live within a district in order to vote in that district.
- It allows unaffiliated voters to vote in primary elections effectively destroying the purpose.
If passed into law, these actions allow for a person willing to break voter laws to vote in any district and in as many districts as they like, all at the empowerment of the current majority party in the Colorado legislature and Governor.
(h/t Don Rodgers)
Of course, this is all about “removing barriers” and making voting “more accessible” so that “all who want to exercise their right to vote should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote by being able to register to vote up to and on election day.”
Wow. As if we don’t have the most accessible free election system in the entire world already?
Nope, that’s not the problem. It’s very simply the Democrats’ logical next step to secure their Marxist reign here in Colorado and ensure their new citizen-controlling laws aren’t challenged in the future – all this by “conveniently” multiplying their vote count. Simple as that.
Excerpts from the Colorado HB13-1303 bill:
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be
3 cited as the “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act”.
4 SECTION 2. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly
5 hereby finds, determines, and declares that the intent of this act is to
-4- HB13-1303 remove barriers to participation in the electoral process by making both
2 voting and voter registration more convenient and accessible. Therefore,
3 all eligible citizens who want to exercise their right to vote should have
4 the opportunity to exercise their right to vote by being able to register to
5 vote up to and on election day.
6 (2) The general assembly further finds, determines, and declares
7 that the peoples’ self-government through the electoral process is more
8 legitimate and better accepted when voter participation increases. By
9 implementing this act, the general assembly hereby concludes that it is
10 appropriate to expand the use of mail ballot elections as a means to
11 increase voter participation. Recognizing the continued need for in-person
12 voting options through early voting and on election day, the general
13 assembly also finds that mail ballot elections must include voter service
14 and polling centers to enable electors to register to vote, update their
15 registration information, and cast ballots in person.
And excerpts from the bill summary:
The bill implements various changes to the “Uniform Election
Code of 1992” (code).
Residency. Currently, to be eligible to register to vote, a person
must have resided both in the state and in the precinct in which he or she
intends to register for at least 30 days prior to an election. The bill
shortens the time required for state residency to 22 days and eliminates
the minimum time that an elector must have resided within a Colorado
precinct.
Registration. Under current law, voter registration must be
effected no later than 29 days before an election for a person to cast a
ballot in that election. The bill expands the time during which a person
may register to vote in an election, and describes the deadlines associated
with the various methods of voter registration. Specifically, a person may
register by:
! Submitting a voter registration application through the
mail, a voter registration agency, or a voter registration
drive no later than 22 days prior to an election;
! Appearing in person at his or her county clerk and
recorder’s office when registration is permitted at the office
or submitting an application at a high school in accordance
with high school registration procedures;
! Applying via a local driver’s license examination facility or
through the on-line voter registration system maintained by
the secretary of state through 8 days prior to an election;
! Visiting a voter service and polling center during the time
that such location is open, including on or prior to the date
of the election.
The bill harmonizes the content of self-affirmations made in
connection with registering to vote.
Mail ballot elections. Under the bill, a mail ballot election is an
election for which active registered electors receive a ballot by mail and
may then cast the ballot by mail, deposit it at a drop-off location, or go to
a voter service and polling center to cast a ballot in person. The bill
requires all general, primary, odd-year, coordinated, presidential, special
legislative, recall, and congressional vacancy elections to be conducted
as mail ballot elections. Consequently, the ability of an elector to apply
-2- HB13-1303for permanent mail-in status is removed from the code.
The bill limits current code provisions relating to early and mail-in
voting to municipality and special district elections conducted under state
law.
Voter service and polling centers and ballot drop-off locations.
To complement the implementation of mail ballot elections, the bill
requires county clerk and recorders to establish a minimum number of
voter service and polling centers, depending on the number of active
registered voters in the county. Factors that county clerk and recorders
must consider in designating voter service and polling centers are
enumerated.
Each voter service and polling center must provide the following:
! The ability for an eligible elector to register to vote;
! The ability for an eligible elector to cast a ballot;
! The ability for an eligible elector to update his or her
address;
! The ability for an eligible elector who has legally changed
his or her name to have his or her name changed in the
registration records;
! The ability for an unaffiliated registered elector to affiliate
with a political party and cast a ballot in a primary election;
! Secure computer access; except that smaller counties may
seek a waiver of this requirement upon demonstrating
hardship and securing approval of a plan to access the
statewide voter database and conduct real-time verification
of voter eligibility via telephone or other means;
! Facilities and equipment for persons with disabilities,
including direct record electronic voting machines or other
voting systems accessible to electors with disabilities;
! Voting booths;
! Original and replacement ballots for distribution;
! Mail ballots to requesting electors;
! The ability to accept mail ballots that are deposited by
electors; and
! The ability of a person to cast a provisional ballot.
In addition to voter service and polling centers, certain counties
must also establish stand-alone drop-off locations.
Inactivity by reason of failure to vote.
The bill repeals the category of voter inactivity that is triggered by an elector’s failure to vote and makes all such voters active. As a result, such voters will receive mail ballots in future elections.
Electronic communications transmission. Except for ballots and voter information cards, upon request, county clerks and recorders are authorized to transmit electronically elections-related communications to voters.
Colorado voter access and modernized elections commission.
The Colorado voter access and modernized elections commission
(commission) is created for the purpose of evaluating implementation of
the bill and assessing systems used in the state for voting and registration.
The composition, terms, and duties of the commission are specified, and
the commission is directed to prepare and present 4 separate reports to the
state, veterans, and military affairs committees of the house of
representatives and the senate. The commission is subject to the sunset
review process for newly created advisory committees.
Accuracy of voter information. Beginning July 1, 2013, the
secretary of state must conduct a monthly national change of address
search on all electors whose names appear in the statewide voter
registration list. The secretary of state must transmit data gathered in such
searches to county clerk and recorders, who are required to update
electors’ records pursuant to statutorily prescribed procedures.
Currently, the secretary of state and the department of revenue
maintain a reciprocal information-sharing agreement that allows each
entity to verify information provided in connection with applications for
voter registration. The bill directs the secretary of state to enter into
similar information accessibility agreements with the department of
public health and environment and the department of corrections.
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Michelle Morin a conservative blogger and speaker for freedom and America’s founding principles. Join her for updates here.
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