Darin Moriki
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office and a group of Colorado nonprofit organizations are launching separate campaigns to remind voters to check their voter registration status for the November general election.
The Interfaith Alliance, League of Women Voters, Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization, and Vets Voice Foundation are teaming up to remind voters to check their mail-in-ballot voting status.
Ellen Dumm, Campaign for a Strong Colorado executive director, said this is particularly important in Colorado, since it is the only state that declares voters are “inactive” after missing one election, removing them from the “permanent” vote-by-mail list.
In all, she estimates almost 80,000 Colorado voters who signed up for “permanent vote by mail” are now considered to be inactive because they did not vote in 2010.
She said inactive voters are eligible to vote and may request a ballot or vote in person on Election Day.
“Election Day is the day that everyone’s voice counts equally,” Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy and Research Organization executive director Oliva Mendoza said in a prepared statement. “Your right to vote is too important — make sure your voice is heard.”
On another front, Secretary of State Scott Gessler is alerting new voters to check their registration status, if they used their mobile device or tablet between Sept. 14 and Sept. 24 to register online to vote at GoVoteColorado.com.
The website, launched on Aug. 31, was Gessler’s most recent effort to reach out to voters and increase voter registration statewide.
However, his office corrected a programming glitch last week that was discovered when one of his employees did not appear in the voter registration system after registering to vote on GoVoteColorado.com.
“My office will aggressively reach out to these individuals to ensure that they get registered,” Gessler said. “I’m taking full responsibility and using all avenues available to alert these Coloradans of our mistake.”
Richard Coolidge, Colorado Secretary of State’s Office communications director, said the problem affects fewer than 800 first-time voters who registered during the 11-day period.
Those who registered using a mobile phone or tablet can verify their registration or re-register to vote at GoVoteColorado.com. The registration deadline is Oct. 9, but Coolidge said voters can still register to vote up to and on Election Day using an emergency registration or vote a provisional ballot.