Secretary of State Jena Griswold Applauds the Signing of Democracy Package into Law

Governor Jared Polis signs Clean Campaign Act, Automatic Voter Registration along with bills increasing voter access

Denver, May 29, 2019 – Today, Governor Jared Polis signed into law a package of legislation aimed at increasing access to and representation in our democracy. The new laws increase disclosure of political spending, expand automatic voter registration, increase voting access for all eligible Coloradans-- including increased polling locations and drop boxes in the days leading up to and on Election Day -- and guarantee polling locations or drop boxes on public universities and tribal lands. Campaign finance reform, expanded automatic voter registration, and improved access to voting for Coloradans were all priorities for Secretary of State Jena Griswold this year. Secretary Griswold worked with the legislature to advance this agenda.

"Colorado voters belong at the center of our democracy. These new laws will shine light on secret political spending; stop special-interests, corporations, and the well-connected from side-stepping the law; and increase access to voter registration and voting for all eligible Coloradans," said Secretary Griswold. "I am proud of the work we accomplished with the legislature to help build a democracy that Coloradans can believe in, and further secure Colorado as a leader in election access and campaign finance transparency."

Governor Polis signed the following bills:

• The Clean Campaign Act of 2019 (HB19-1318 - Weissman, Foote, Bridges): This legislation helps stop dark money and adds transparency to secret political spending by requiring organizations that give money to Colorado SuperPACs to disclose their funding sources. It also prevents all foreign nationals, foreign corporations, and foreign countries from spending money on any type of political communication in Colorado; ensures that corporations that spend money on ballot initiatives disclose that they paid for the communication; and requires "paid for by" disclaimers on communications to voters from any committee.

• Campaign Finance Enforcement (SB19-232 - Weissman, Foote): This legislation codifies existing rules that the Secretary of State's office enacted in 2018 in response to a Federal District Court ruling. This legislation puts enforcement mechanisms into law and modernizes Colorado's enforcement process.

• Automatic Voter Registration (SB19-235 - Fenberg, Danielson, Mullica, Esgar): This legislation streamlines automatic voter registration at drivers' license offices and expands the program to eligible Coloradans applying for Medicaid. Expanding automatic voter registration will increase access to voter registration for eligible Coloradans and help make our voter rolls more accurate.

• Modifications to Uniform Election Code (HB19-1278 - Lontine, Fenberg): This legislation increases access to Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) and ballot drop boxes across Colorado, and gives county clerks the tools they need to run efficient elections in their communities. This legislation also improves access to voting for college students by guaranteeing ballot drop boxes on higher education institutions and VSPCs on large public higher education institutions. It also expands access to voters living on Colorado's tribal lands. In addition to expanding access for voters, the legislation includes needed technical modifications to ballot access and other election laws.

• Voting access for people with Disabilities (SB19-202 - Danielson, Zenzinger, Froelich): This legislation would require the Secretary of State to develop policies to increase access to the ballot for voters with disabilities, by ensuring they can independently mark a ballot or use an electronic voting device that produces a paper record using nonvisual access or low-vision access technology.