By Marissa Ventrelli | Denver Gazette
Gov. Jared Polis signed a trio of election-related bills into law on Monday, including a measure sponsors say will “safeguard voting rights in Colorado amid federal uncertainty.”
Senate Bill 001, sponsored by Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Reps. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, implements a state-level version of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned certain discriminatory voting practices.
Several states, including Colorado, are considering their own version of the Voting Rights Act: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey. Meanwhile, Washington and New York have already passed a state-version of the federal law.
Gonzales said Senate Bill 001 mirrors the federal Voting Rights Act by prohibiting election practices that create disparities in participation for protected groups and by prohibiting election methods and district maps that disproportionately impair the ability of communities of color to elect candidates of their choice. The bill also ensures the rights of civil rights groups and “harmed voters” to take action to enforce voting rights, even if the federal right is taken away, she added.
Gonzales also said it creates protections for LGBTQ+ voters, prohibiting efforts to impair the right to vote based on gender expression and sexual orientation.
“With courage, conviction and sacrifice, generations of Black Americans fought for the Voting Rights Act, transforming democracy and ensuring equal access to the ballot for Black Americans and other minority groups,” said Bacon. “With voter suppression and voter dilution tactics being used throughout the country, it’s imperative that we act now to protect the constitutional right to vote. This law makes it clear to Coloradans that, while the federal government continues to chip away at the Voting Rights Act, Colorado Democrats are committed to protecting voting rights.”
SB 001 passed in both the House and Senate, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans opposed.