Election Protection Act Introduced In Colorado Senate

DENVER, CO — The Colorado Election Security Act, which is designed to protect against potential threats to voting equipment and election systems, was introduced in the Colorado State Senate on Monday.

The Act, which is sponsored by Senate President Stephen Fenberg (D-Boulder) and Rep. Susan Lontine (D-Denver), will increase the physical security of voting equipment.

"Colorado sets a national example when it comes to holding free, fair, and secure elections, and we want to keep it that way,” Fenberg said. "But unfortunately, there are folks both inside and outside the election system seeking to tamper with and undermine trust in our elections.

"The Colorado Election Security Act increases penalties for anyone who tampers with Colorado’s gold standard elections and interferes with our democracy, and will help defend our elections from wrongdoers while giving Coloradans peace of mind at the polling place."

The bill will mandate "continuous video surveillance" of the voting equipment year-round and will also require key card access to the rooms where the equipment is stored, according to a news release. It would also add protections for potential whistleblowers reporting breaches of election laws and would make it a felony to tamper with the voting equipment.

The bill will also prevent candidates or elected officials from political subdivisions with more than 100,000 people from being in a room with, or having access to, any voting equipment without authorized officials, the news release said.

"It’s important to harden our election security posture against insider threats who seek to break the law and undermine public confidence in our elections," Pueblo County Clerk Bo Ortiz said in the release. "The Colorado Election Security Act does just that and I look forward to this important piece of legislation becoming law."