Colorado’s Republican Secretary of State criticized Democratic state legislators Monday over a sweeping elections reform bill, which he says was drafted without his involvement. The Democrat-sponsored bill got initial approve in a House committee on a 7-4 party-line vote with Democrats in favor on Monday evening. The hearing drew dozens to the Capitol. House bill 1303 would make a series of changes to Colorado elections law which supporters say will make voting easier. Opponents say the bill is unnecessary and opens the door to more possibility of voter fraud.
“This is a flawed bill and this is an example of bad government,” Gessler said. “Frankly, the people who wrote it, who are behind this, wrote it in secret. They froze out any voice that disagree with them.”
“That’s not true,” countered bill sponsor Rep. Dan Pabon. (D-Denver) “We asked to present this bill to [Gessler’s] Best Practices and Vision commission and were rebuffed.”
Gessler contends that request came after months of crafting the legislation without input from his office, which oversees elections in Colorado.
The bill would allow voters to register up to and on Election Day, rather than 29 days before as current law mandates.
It also makes every election a “mail ballot” election, which would give voters the option of mailing in or dropping off a ballot sent to them by mail, or voting at a voter service center.
Full Article: Major election changes in Colo. get initial OK | 9news.com.