Colorado Election Official Protection Act Introduced

Denver, March 3, 2022 - The Colorado Election Official Protection Act (HB22-1273), which is designed to provide additional protections for election officials throughout the state, has been introduced in the House.  The bill is one of Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s priorities this legislative session and is being sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran (D-Wheat Ridge) and Emily Sirota (D-Denver), and Senate President Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder) and Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood).

“Democracy is possible because of the public servants who administer fair and free elections,” said Secretary Griswold.  “The Election Official Protection Act helps protect those who work elections by prohibiting doxing and retaliation against them for doing their jobs.  I thank Representatives Duran and Sirota and Senators Fenberg and Pettersen for bringing this important legislation to the attention of the House and joining me in standing up for our state’s election officials and workers.”

“The increase of violent threats against our election officials is alarming,” said Rep. Monica Duran D-Wheat Ridge. “It’s tragic that these civil servants are experiencing intimidation and threats, both in-person and online, just for doing their jobs. Colorado’s free and fair elections are made possible by our dedicated election officials. We cannot tolerate threats to their safety, which is why we are working to pass legislation that will protect both them and their families from violence.” 

“Elections officials uphold our democracy, and right now, they're dealing with ongoing threats to their safety and the safety of their families,” said Rep. Emily Sirota D-Denver. “This bill will protect Colorado’s election officials and their families from doxing and will ramp up the penalties for those who intimidate or threaten election workers. These civil servants ensure our elections are run without a hitch, and they deserve to feel safe doing their jobs.”

“Election officials sign up to preserve and protect our democratic institutions, not to put their well-being and safety on the line,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder). “Coercion and intimidation have no place in a democratic election and we must work to ensure this remains true. This legislation will further strengthen Colorado’s exemplary elections system by taking care of the very people who take care of it.”

“No one should fear for their safety when they are carrying out their duty to protect the most sacred part of the democratic process - the right to vote,” said Sen. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood. “The reality is too many of our election officials are facing threats to themselves and their families for simply doing their job, and we won’t stand for it. This bill will implement critical protections to ensure that our election officials and their families are safe from violence and intimidation while increasing penalties for those who attempt to threaten their well-being.”

According to a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice, one in three U.S. election officials has felt unsafe in their job and one in six have reported receiving threats because of their work carrying out elections.  These threats have also increased in Colorado, and Republican, Democratic, and Unaffiliated election officials have been targeted for administering safe and secure elections in the state. 

The Election Official Protection Act will establish election officials and workers as a protected class against doxing, which is the release of personal information for purposes of threatening a person or their family.  Doxing an election official would constitute a Class 1 Misdemeanor penalty, carrying with it a fine up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment in county jail of up to 364 days.  The bill would also allow professional election workers to file a request to government entities to remove their personal information from online records if the person feels the release of their information could pose a threat to their safety.

The bill would additionally prohibit individuals from interfering with an election official in any manner by expanding on the existing laws that make it a crime to intimidate, threaten or coerce an election official while they are performing official duties or retaliate against them for performing their official duties.  Threatening an election official is a Class 2 Misdemeanor which will be punished by a fine up to $750 and or up to 120 days imprisonment.

A summary of the bill can be found here and the full text of the bill can be found here.

More information on Secretary Griswold’s legislative priorities for the 2022 Colorado Legislative Session can be found here.