Buescher responds to Judge’s order in Common Cause suit

Denver, November 3, 2010 – Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John Kane ruled in favor of the Secretary of State’s office and its voter registration procedures. This suit was filed by Common Cause and other interest groups just prior to the 2008 general election alleging that the state was wrongfully disqualifying voters. In his order, Judge Kane writes:

“Colorado’s 20-day Rule, as implemented and applied by county clerks and registrars under Election Rule 2.17, conforms with Congress’s mandates under the NVRA and HAVA to facilitate and ensure that all eligible registration applicants are added to Colorado’s statewide voter registration database on an expedited basis and that the database be monitored and maintained so that ineligible or ‘not registered’ voters are removed from it.”

Following the ruling, Secretary of State Bernie Buescher made the following statement:

“I'm pleased with the ruling mostly because it validates the integrity of Colorado’s election processes and the dedication illustrated by our local election officials,” Buescher said. “As I’ve said repeatedly, we want to maintain a system that is both convenient and preserves the integrity of the process. As the judge affirmed again today, Colorado voters should have confidence in our election laws and the local election officials who uphold our system.

“After two years of expending state resources to defend and litigate this issue, I am happy to put it to rest and move Colorado forward.”