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Colorado Advocates Introduce Sweeping Voting Rights Bill to Safeguard Democracy

The Colorado Voting Rights Act will protect and expand state voting rights

The Colorado Voting Rights Act will protect and expand state voting rights

DENVER – The Colorado Voting Rights Act, sponsored by Senadora Julie Gonzales, Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, and Representative Junie Joseph, was introduced today in the Colorado Senate to safeguard and expand upon voter protections in the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). A broad coalition of civil rights and civil engagement organizations support the bill. 

In 2022, the Colorado General Assembly adopted a resolution urging Congress to respond to attacks on Americans’ right to vote by strengthening the VRA. Both advocates and state legislators assert that Colorado doesn’t need to wait for a Congress that has failed to act — it can take action now. 

Passing the Colorado Voting Rights Act will help insulate the state from future voting rights attacks from the U.S. Supreme Court or federal government. It will also help build a more equitable democracy by confronting practices that impair the ability to fairly participate in local elections.

“Our democracy cannot wait. We must safeguard our institutions from the growing existential threats that lie ahead,” said Senadora Julie Gonzales. “The Colorado Voting Rights Act meets this critical moment, securing Coloradans’ right to vote and ensuring equal and equitable access to the ballot for all. Should Colorado pass this legislation, it would set the standard for other states to follow suit in protecting the right to vote.”

The Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA) will: 

  • Strengthen voter protections: COVRA will reinforce and build upon the federal Voting Rights Act by strengthening protections for communities of color, creating new protections for LGBTQ+ voters, and ensuring equal protections for all voters.
  • Safeguard Colorado’s election system: COVRA will protect Colorado voters’ access to the ballot by shielding the state from the dismantling of the federal voting rights protections, federal and state administration changes, and any future attempts to undermine fair and accessible elections. 
  • Advance equity and fair representation: The bill requires local governments to ensure communities of color have an equal say in who represents them. COVRA sets standards local governments can follow to ensure all community members have their fair share of electoral power.
  • Expand access: The bill expands access to multilingual ballots in local elections, further strengthens voting access on tribal lands, and ensures voters with disabilities who live in residential facilities are provided nonpartisan information about their right to vote.
  • Create a strong legal framework in state courts: With federal courts often hostile to challenges against discriminatory practices, COVRA equips Colorado to address such issues in state courts. It empowers the Colorado Attorney General and civil rights groups to enforce voting rights when they are violated, offering voters stronger legal recourse.
  • Cement Colorado as a democracy leader: Colorado already leads the nation in secure and accessible elections. Passing COVRA in 2025 will keep our state at the forefront of democracy by dismantling voting barriers for historically disenfranchised communities, and setting a standard for other states to follow.

This landmark legislation is championed by a coalition of 30+ community-based organizations, led by Colorado Common Cause, ACLU of Colorado, Mi Familia Vota of Colorado, the League of Women Voters of Colorado, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC), Colorado Black Women for Political Action, State Innovation Exchange (SiX), Disability Law Colorado, and the Sam Cary Bar Association.

“As voting rights at the federal level face unprecedented threats, Colorado can pave a different path forward,” the coalition said in a statement. “Despite significant progress, systemic discrimination and voting barriers persist today. By enshrining voting rights protections into state law, the Colorado Voting Rights Act follows the proud legacy of abolitionist and civil rights leaders who fought for the equal right to vote for Black communities and other communities of color. If passed, this legislation will safeguard Colorado’s democracy for all voters for generations to come.”

For the full bill text of the Colorado Voting Rights Act, click here.