| Summary |
The bill creates the Colorado Voting Rights Act (act) and modifies
certain election-related statutes in 4 areas:
•
Election and voting statutes related to Indian tribes;
•
Voting-related services for individuals with disabilities;
•
Election-related language access; and
•
Election-related data collection.
Creation of the act. The bill creates the act, which prohibits
political subdivisions from:
•
Taking any action that results in or is intended to result in
a material disparity between electors who are members of
a protected race, color, or language minority group or other
minority reporting group (protected class members) and
other eligible electors in regard to voter participation,
access to voting opportunities, or the opportunity or ability
to participate in the political process (voter suppression);
•
Enacting or employing any method of election that has the
effect of, or is motivated in part by the intention of,
disparately impairing the opportunity or ability of protected
class members to participate in the political process, elect
the candidates of their choice, or otherwise influence the
outcome of elections (voter dilution); or
•
Implementing, imposing, or enforcing a voting
qualification or another prerequisite to voting based on an
individual's actual or perceived gender identity, gender
expression, or sexual orientation.
An aggrieved individual or organization may file a civil suit alleging
voter suppression, voter dilution, or an unlawful voting prerequisite based
on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. The attorney
general may investigate potential violations of the act and may file suit to
enforce the act or may intervene in an aggrieved individual's or
organization's civil suit.
Election and voting statutes related to Indian tribes. The bill
clarifies provisions related to voter registration and election access for
Indian tribes, including valid identification for registration purposes and
the requirements for voter service and polling centers and ballot drop-off
locations on Indian reservations.
Voting-related services for individuals with disabilities. The bill
imposes a requirement on covered entities, defined as entities that provide
state-funded services primarily to individuals with disabilities, to publicly
display notices related to voting in advance of statewide general and
primary elections.
Election-related language access. The bill expands existing
requirements for the creation of multilingual ballots from only applying
to qualifying counties to also applying to qualifying municipalities, based
on the population or percentage of the voting-age population within the
relevant jurisdiction who are minority language speakers and speak
English less than very well.
Election-related data collection. The bill creates the statewide
election database and information office (office) in the department of
state. The office collects and maintains data related to elections, including
demographics, election results, and voting information, which the office
is required to make publicly available. After each election, political
subdivisions are required to submit election-related information to the
office. The office also provides assistance to political subdivisions,
researchers, and members of the public related to the data it maintains, in
addition to providing data to the attorney general for purposes of
investigating potential violations of the act.
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