Colorado lawmakers approve voting rights bill, despite pushback from election officials

Colorado lawmakers are sending the governor a measure meant to shore up voting rights.

The move is part of a national effort to write protections established by the federal Voting Rights Act into state laws. But it comes despite opposition from local officials, who have argued the law could upend decades-old practices.

Senate Bill 25-001 passed the legislature this week largely along party lines. It would give voters the right to bring discrimination suits at the state level and extend new protections specific to Colorado, including making sure people can vote while in jail and barring discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

"We should not tolerate dilution or suppression," said state Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. "The promise of this country is to say that we believe that your voice matters, and that we will take steps to ensure even through our differences ... that we will protect the vote."



https://www.ksut.org/government-politics/2025-05-02/colorado-lawmakers-approve-voting-rights-bill-despite-pushback-from-election-officials