Colorado § 1-8.3-107 - Methods of registering to vote.

§ 1-8.3-107. Methods of registering to vote.

(1) To apply to register to vote, in addition to any other approved method, a covered voter may use a federal postcard application, or the application's electronic equivalent.

(2) A covered voter may use the declaration accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot to apply to register to vote simultaneously with the submission of the federal write-in absentee ballot. If the declaration is received after the election, it shall be treated as an application to register to vote for subsequent elections.

(3) The secretary of state shall ensure that the electronic transmission system described in section 1-8.3-104 (3) is capable of accepting both a federal postcard application and any other approved electronic registration application sent to the appropriate election official. The voter may use the electronic transmission system or any other approved method to register to vote.

Source: L. 2011: Entire article added, (HB 11-1219), ch. 176, p. 668, § 1, effective May 13. L. 2013: (2) amended, (HB 13-1303), ch. 185, p. 744, § 105, effective May 10. L. 2018: (2) amended, (SB 18-233), ch. 262, p. 1614, § 31, effective May 29.

Cross references: In 2013, subsection (2) was amended by the "Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act". For the short title and the legislative declaration, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 185, Session Laws of Colorado 2013.

OFFICIAL COMMENT

Both this section and section 1-8.3-108 are designed to encourage the use of the federal postcard application while yet allowing military and overseas voters to use a state's pre-existing voter forms, and to permit states to develop alternative forms if they wish. However, the sections are not intended to require states or local election jurisdictions to revise their existing forms, or to prepare new forms for voters covered under this act. Instead, to the extent that a state's existing forms do not collect sufficient information to properly classify overseas and military voters, section 1-8.3-108 (5) requires voters who use the state forms to affirmatively indicate their status as a covered voter. States that choose to revise their forms for whatever reason should ensure that the revised forms facilitate voting under this act.