Secretary of State Jena Griswold Sworn in for Second Term in Office
Denver, January 10, 2023 - Today, Secretary of State Jena Griswold was sworn in for a second term as Colorado’s 39th Secretary of State and released the following statement:
“It is a privilege and honor to serve the people of Colorado as Secretary of State. Over the past four years, we have made immense strides in increasing voting access and strengthening election security. Every eligible Coloradan—regardless of political affiliation—can make their voice heard in our elections. Colorado continues to be a beacon of hope on voting rights.
“In a second term in office, I will continue to protect every Coloradan’s rights and expand access to the ballot box, increase election security, and provide Colorado’s small businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed.”
Griswold was sworn in on a Tanakh, a religious book that includes the Torah, Neviʾim, and Ketuvim; and an 1876 Colorado Constitution, published in Denver by Tribune Book and Printing House.
Griswold was first elected in November 2018 and re-elected for a second term in November 2022. At her swearing-in, Griswold wore a white suit in honor of the suffragette movement, all of the women who have served before her, and the women across the country who are now serving their communities.
Griswold is one of the few women ever to be elected to statewide executive office in Colorado. In 2019 she became the first Democrat elected since 1958 and is the first incumbent Secretary of State elected to a second term in over 20 years. Griswold is the first Democratic woman to serve in the position and also the youngest Secretary of State in the country.
Since taking office, Secretary Griswold has overseen seven statewide elections, protected Coloradans’ Constitutional right to vote, and supported the State’s business community by cutting red tape, protecting businesses from fraud, and lowering the cost of starting a business.
During her first term in office, Secretary Griswold led the passage of the largest democracy reform in the country and has worked over the past four years to strengthen the Colorado Election Model, including by:
- Launching statewide systems so that every Colorado voter can track their ballot and fix signature or ID discrepancies with ease;
- Increasing mail ballot drop boxes by over 65%;
- Passing automatic voter registration reform, which has registered hundreds of thousands of eligible Coloradans to vote;
- Establishing a unit within the Secretary of State’s office focused specifically on protecting Colorado’s elections from cyber-attacks, foreign interference, and disinformation campaigns;
- Guaranteeing drop boxes and voting centers on most college campuses and tribal lands to make it easy for all eligible Coloradans to cast a ballot.
Secretary Griswold has also prioritized and helped pass legislation to strengthen Colorado’s Democracy and support small businesses, including:
- The Colorado Election Security Act (SB22-153): A first-in-the-nation law to protect against insider threats that makes it a felony to tamper with voting equipment and election systems.
- The Election Official Protection Act (HB22-1273): Establishes election officials and workers as a protected class against doxing, classifies doxing as a Class 1 Misdemeanor penalty, and allows professional election workers to file a request to government entities to remove their personal information from online records.
- Vote Without Fear Act (HB22-1086): Prohibits open carrying a firearm within 100 feet of drop boxes, voting centers, or where ballot processing is occurring.
- Multilingual Hotline for Voters (HB21-1011): Establishes a multilingual hotline so that voters who speak languages other than English can receive assistance translating ballot content.
- Campaign Finance Reform (HB19-1248), (HB19-1318), (SB19-232): Makes lobbyist and campaign finance disclosures more transparent.
- Fee Relief Act (HB22-1001): Cuts the cost of registering a business or trade name with the Secretary of State’s Office to just $1.
- Combating Business Identity Theft Act (SB22-034): Allows the Secretary of State’s Office and Attorney General to field complaints of fraudulent documents filed with the Department of State, investigate them, and remedy records
