Democrats advanced two election bills and killed one Republican verification measure during House State Affairs Committee hearings last week. Colorado conducts elections primarily by mail where ballots travel through unsecured mailboxes, postal facilities, and drop boxes before reaching counting centers. No documented chain of custody exists between voter and verification.
The Verification Bill Democrats Killed
HB26-1104 would have required annual address verification using third-party credit bureaus to supplement monthly postal service checks. Rep. Bradfield sponsored the measure requiring the Secretary of State to send voter names, birth years, and residential addresses to credit agencies for comparison against their databases. County clerks would receive discrepancy reports for review and action under existing law.
The bill required $50,400 annually from the Department of State Cash Fund. Democrats killed it on a 6-5 party-line vote.
Signature Verification Gets Bipartisan Support
HB26-1080 required bipartisan teams for all mail ballot signature verification reviews. Reps. Richardson and Paschal introduced legislation mandating two-judge teams for both initial and secondary signature reviews after Mesa County cases raised concerns about individual judges approving questionable signatures.
The committee adopted amendments clarifying the bipartisan requirement applied to both verification stages. Rep. Richardson explained the bill addressed situations where “a single election judge can accept or reject ballots in the initial review stage.” The measure passed 10-1.
County clerks initially opposed the bill citing coordination challenges. Several shifted to neutral or amend positions after negotiations. The fiscal note projected $192,137 in first-year costs. Ongoing costs total $75,937 annually for additional staff coordination.
Omnibus Bill Rewrites Procedures
HB26-1113 made dozens of changes to election administration in a 44-page omnibus bill. Reps. Sirota and Willford sponsored modifications ranging from university polling hours to congressional vacancy procedures.
Key provisions require university polling centers to open ten days before elections. The previous requirement was fifteen days. Ballot mailing must begin twenty-nine days before elections. Drop boxes must accept ballots for twenty-two days before elections.
Jail voting requirements shifted from uniform standards to bed-count formulas. Large facilities must provide six hours of voting. Medium facilities get four hours. Small facilities get three hours.
The bill repealed voter registration challenge provisions allowing any registered elector to challenge another person’s registration for illegal or fraudulent registration. Challenges required written evidence and hearings before county clerks with appeals to district courts.
Congressional vacancy election timing changed to align with regularly scheduled statewide elections when vacancies occur within a specific timeframe before primary or general elections. Other changes allowed electors to bring printed materials into voting centers, created wait time reporting for one-hour delays, removed requirements to redact voluntary ballot markings, and required partisan balance in U.S. Senate vacancy appointments.
The bill passed 8-3.
The Pattern
Democrats killed the only bill adding verification to the existing system. They passed two bills: one with bipartisan support improving signature procedures after ballots arrive at counting centers, one rewriting dozens of election procedures in an omnibus package.
Republicans supported signature verification improvements and proposed address verification enhancements. Both measures verify information after ballots complete their journey from voters through unsecured collection to counting centers.
Mail ballots travel from county clerks through postal facilities to voter mailboxes without signature verification. Voters mark ballots and return them through mail or unsupervised drop boxes. County staff transport ballots from collection points to counting centers without individual tracking. Security measures begin when ballots arrive. Bipartisan teams verify signatures. Election judges process ballots under observation. Video surveillance records handling.
The week produced legislation improving procedures at counting centers while leaving the gap between voter and verification unaddressed. You cannot secure elections by polishing what happens after ballots arrive when those ballots traveled unsecured to get there.
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