Posted May 1, 2025
On April 29, the Colorado Voting Rights Act, sponsored by Senadora Julie Gonzales, Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, and Representative Junie Joseph, officially passed both legislative chambers and now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
The Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA) mirrors and strengthens the federal Voting Rights Act to prohibit discrimination in elections, ensuring all eligible voters have the right to be heard at the ballot box and a right to fair representation. If passed, the legislation would give 1.37 million Coloradans access to multilingual ballots in their municipal elections and would make Colorado the first state to create specific protections for LGBTQ+ voters and eligible voters who are confined to county jails.
“In this time of uncertainty and national instability, Colorado has the opportunity to act on its own to strengthen our right to vote,” said Aly Belknap, Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause. “Colorado already leads the nation in secure and accessible elections. By passing the COVRA, we can keep our state at the forefront of democracy by dismantling voting barriers for historically disenfranchised communities and establishing a framework for other states to follow. Now, it’s up to Governor Polis to decide whether or not to protect and expand access to the ballot for all Coloradans.”
This landmark legislation is championed by a coalition of 40+ community-based organizations, led by Colorado Common Cause, ACLU of Colorado, the League of Women Voters of Colorado, the 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. National experts who supported the effort include Common Cause, Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and Campaign Legal Center.
“The Colorado Voting Rights Act will strengthen our ability to defend Colorado voters rights no matter what happens at the federal level,” says Beth Hendrix, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Colorado. “The League of Women Voters of Colorado is proud to be a part of the amazing coalition that drafted and helped to pass this important piece of legislation.”
Specifically, the Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA) will:
- Strengthen voter protections:COVRA reinforces and builds upon the federal Voting Rights Act by strengthening protections for communities of color, creating new protections for LGBTQ+ voters, and ensuring the right to vote is upheld for eligible voters who are confined to county jails.
- Safeguard Colorado’s election system:The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is under attack. The COVRA shields the state from the dismantling of federal voting rights protections, federal and state administration changes, and other 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.
- Break down language barriers with multilingual ballots:The bill creates access to multilingual ballots in local elections for the first time, covering 17 city elections and 1.37 million Coloradans.
- Empower voters with disabilities:COVRA ensures that 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.
- Create a statewide database for election information:To understand where gaps in voter registration and turnout persist, COVRA establishes a statewide database where the public can gather information about state and local elections – information that’s currently difficult to obtain.
“While the federal government continues to dismantle key legislation that protects Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties, the ACLU of Colorado is proud to support the Colorado Voting Rights Act,” said Mika Alexander, ACLU of Colorado Public Policy Fellow. “This important bill ensures that Coloradans are protected from voter suppression and mandates that the state achieve voting accessibility for our state’s vulnerable, protected, and minority classes. The private right of action outlined in the bill will, in turn, allow for Coloradans to voice their concerns and hold our local governments accountable.”
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