Automatic Voter Registration

Voter registration - transfer of records from department of revenue - transfer of records from department of health care policy and financing - voter registration agency reports - verification of signatures - appropriation. Beginning July 1, 2020, the department of revenue is required to transfer to the secretary of state (secretary) the electronic record of each unregistered elector or person eligible to preregister who applies for the issuance, renewal, or correction of a Colorado driver's license or identification card and who provides documentation of citizenship. The elector's county clerk reviews the record for completeness and sends the elector a notice advising that the elector has been registered to vote. The elector can return the notice to either decline to be registered or affiliate with a party. If the elector does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is registered to vote.

The department of health care policy and financing is also required to begin transferring to the secretary the electronic records of electors who apply for medicaid, subject to compliance with all federal laws and regulations. The elector's county clerk reviews the record for completeness and sends the elector a notice advising that the elector has been registered to vote. The elector can return the notice to decline to be registered, affiliate with a party, or provide a signature if necessary for their record. If the elector does not decline to be registered within 20 days after the notice is mailed and the form is not returned as undeliverable, the elector is registered to vote.

Agencies that oversee offices designated as voter registration agencies are required to begin reporting information to the secretary related to the number of people who apply for benefits or programs, the number of voter registration choice forms the offices collect, and the number of people who receive voter registration forms. The office of information technology is required to assess and report to the secretary which voter registration agencies collect sufficient information for voter registration purposes. When the office of information technology and the secretary determine that an agency collects sufficient information, the agency is required to begin transferring records to the secretary for voter registration purposes.

Unless a person who knows they are ineligible to vote intentionally takes voluntary action to become registered, the transfer of the person's record by a voter registration agency does not constitute completion of a voter registration form by that person.

Beginning July 1, 2020, the act creates a process for electors who are registered through a voter registration agency to provide a signature for verification if they return a ballot in an election but a copy of their signature is not found in the statewide voter registration system.

For the implementation of the act, $67,840 is appropriated to the department of state, $136,240 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology, $18,000 is appropriated to the department of revenue for use by the division of motor vehicles, and $90,287 is appropriated to the department of human services. It is anticipated that the department of human services will receive an additional $45,413 in federal funds for the office of information technology services to implement the act.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)