Hey, CO. U can now text 2 register 2 vote. LOL!

DENVER, August 17, 2016 -- The Colorado Secretary of State's Office is offering yet another innovative method to access voter registration: texting.

Eligible Coloradans can simply text the word "Colorado" or "CO" to "2Vote" (28683) on their smartphones, and then open the link to the SOS' online voter registration and election information site. It's that easy.

"It's one-stop shopping for all the elections information anyone would need," Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams said. "In today's on-demand society, we're staying one step ahead addressing the needs of millennials, Gen-Xers and anyone who wants information immediately."

Coloradans can text to register, update their address, change their party affiliation, view their sample ballot 45 days before an election or check the status of their voted ballot. They can also get important dates and deadlines pertaining to Nov. 8 general election or future elections.

Williams' office worked with a Georgia-based company, Global Mobile, to develop the service. At the same time, it sought input from Denver Elections, New Era Colorado, Colorado Common Cause and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.

"We are very excited to be working with the state of Colorado, which is highly regarded as one of the most forward-thinking states in the country," said Lee Durham, the chief executive officer of Global Mobile. "Our platform fits in perfectly with their goals to make election information available to the on-demand society that's now part of the smartphone world."

The texting option is the latest in election innovation from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.

In 2010, Colorado was a pioneer in allowing citizens to register to vote online. It was the first state to join the Electronic Registration Information Center, which helps keep voter lists updated nationally. And it was a finalist this year for the National Association of Secretaries of State's IDEAS award for its Accountability in Colorado Elections program, the only state to have a publicly-available database with elections-related information, including voter registration, elections cost data, county performance information, and various other elections-related records.