JOINT RELEASE: Colorado Voting Rights Act Goes Into Effect

New law will safeguard voting rights in Colorado amid federal uncertainty

DENVER, CO – The 2025 Colorado Voting Rights Act, sponsored by Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, and Representative Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, goes into effect on August 6, 2025. 

“The right to vote is under attack by a federal administration testing the limits of its power,” said Gonzales. “Generations of brave activists, women, and people of color have fought for the right to vote – and now, it’s our turn. This law will ensure that in Colorado, no matter your gender, race, or the language you speak, your sacred right to vote is protected.”

“With courage, conviction and sacrifice, generations of Black Americans fought for the Voting Rights Act, transforming democracy and ensuring equal access to the ballot for Black Americans and other minority groups,” said Bacon. “With voter suppression and voter dilution tactics being used throughout the country, we’re celebrating this law going into effect to protect the constitutional right to vote. This law makes it clear to Coloradans that, while the federal government continues to chip away at the Voting Rights Act, Colorado Democrats are committed to protecting voting rights.”

“As the first Black person elected to represent my area, I know I stand on the shoulders of those who fought for the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” said Joseph. “Without the protections secured by that landmark legislation, my path to public office might never have been possible. I am proud to sponsor our own Colorado Voting Rights Act to expand on the foundation laid in 1965 and ensure that all Coloradans – especially those in historically marginalized communities – can access the ballot box freely and fairly. At a time when federal protections are under threat, it is more important than ever that Colorado leads in safeguarding our democracy and protecting the voting rights of LGBTQ+ people, tribal members, and our most vulnerable communities.”

In anticipation of efforts to dismantle the national Voting Rights Act of 1986, which prohibits discriminatory election practices, SB25-001 protects and strengthens the right to vote in Colorado. This law codifies stronger voter protections, expands access to voting information for historically excluded communities, and prohibits discriminatory election practices, even if federal protections are rolled back.

The law protects access for eligible voters confined in local jails, requires residential facilities that house people with disabilities to provide nonpartisan voter information, and empowers the Attorney General to enforce voting rights. It also prohibits impairing an individual’s right to vote based on their gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation and creates a publicly available, statewide database of election information without compromising any personal voter data. The law also gives municipalities until January 2027 to expand access to multilingual ballots in certain local elections. 

In April, the US House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act that would require in-person proof of citizenship to register to vote, threatening the future of voter registration by mail and disenfranchising millions of eligible voters, especially the almost 70 million Americans who have changed their name. This would make it impossible for many Americans who do not have a passport, REAL ID, or access to their birth certificates to vote.

Colorado is a national role model for administering secure, accessible, and fair elections. Colorado Democrats have passed legislation to reduce barriers to voting access for Native Americans, incarcerated Coloradans, and college students. In 2021, Colorado Democrats also passed a law to expand multilingual ballot access beyond federal requirements.

Colorado has one of the highest voter registration and turnout rates in the country. Over 93-percent of eligible Coloradans are registered to vote, which is nearly 10-percent higher than the national average.