Election Reform Victories Increase Voter Confidence
Colorado Common Cause Commends Legislature's Passage of Voting Reforms Looks Forward to the Governor Signing Both Bills

Kansas City infoZine   12 May 2005

Colorado - infoZine - Colorado Common Cause hailed the passage of two essential election reform bills late yesterday in the waning hours of the 2005 legislative session. The bills will increase voter confidence by creating voter verifiable paper trails and a meaningful audit of voting machines, and expanding the list of races that will be counted on provisional ballots. The bills passed with broad bi-partisan legislative support after extensive work with the Blue Ribbon Election Panel, the Secretary of State, the Governor's office, election reform allies including The Bighorn Center for Public Policy, and citizen advocates.

"These critical election bills will enhance voter confidence and trust in our elections and will ensure that every vote is properly cast and counted." said Jenny Flanagan, Colorado Common Cause's Associate Director.

Senate Bills 198 and 206 were amended sothey both reflected key election reform elements. Highlights of the bills include:
SB 05-198 (Senator Ken Gordon, D-Denver and Senator Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield; Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder and Rep. Matt Knoedler, R-Jeffco)
Voter Verified Paper Records
Any new purchase of voting machines must be capable of producing a voter verified paper record
Requires a post election audit to ensure the voter verified paper record tallies are identical to the machine tallies
States that when a discrepancy is found between the voter verified paper record and the machine, the paper record will be used in a recount
Provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct
Votes cast in the wrong precinct will count for federal and statewide races
Conflict of interest prohibited
Prohibits the Secretary of State to chair a federal or state political campaign
SB 05-206 - Blue Ribbon Panel (Sen. Tupa, D-Boulder; Rep. White, R-Winter Park)
Training/Certification for Clerks and election workers
Clarifies provisional ballot processes - including codifying the recent court decision allowing absentee voters to cast provisional ballots if they had not voted their absentee
Voter Registration Drive requirements including registering with Secretary of State and mandatory training for organizers
Electronic voting systems - rules for vendors, escrowing source codes
Changes to election calendar t
ensure timeliness of ballot certification, receipt of absentee ballots and increased time for training of election judges
Clarifies prohibition on felons voting that the statute only pertains to incarcerated felons or felons on parole
After the 2004 general election, many problems and inconsistencies were identified through poll monitoring efforts of Fair Vote Colorado, a non-partisan collaborative project. The findings and recommendations of the Fair Vote Colorado Report translated int - reforms addressed by both election bills. Read the report at www.coloradocommoncause.org.

Common Cause's Flanagan added that, "Because of the exhaustive work of dozens of stakeholders, these reforms meet the voters' demands for increased confidence while balancing the realities of what it takes to run increasingly complex elections."

Colorado Common Cause is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to make government more open, honest and accountable to citizens.