Colorado Election Security Act Passes the Legislature

SB22-153, one of Secretary Griswold’s legislative priorities for 2022, will strengthen protections for Colorado’s election infrastructure

First-in-the-nation legislation includes $1 Million in funding for counties to increase security for Colorado’s election systems and voting equipment

Denver, May 10, 2022 - Today, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold applauded the bipartisan passage of SB22-153, the Colorado Election Security Act (CESA). CESA, which increases safeguards against potential insider threats to voting equipment and election systems, is the cornerstone of Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s election security priorities for the 2022 legislative session. The bill is sponsored by Senate President Stephen Fenberg (D-Boulder), Senator Kevin Priola (R-Henderson) and Representative Susan Lontine (D-Denver).

“Colorado is a leader in election administration, but we can always do more to strengthen security, expand access, and respond to new challenges,” said Secretary Griswold. “Since the 2020 Election, we have seen election officials in Colorado and in other states compromise voting equipment and breach election security rules to prove unfounded conspiracy theories. This first-in-the-nation legislation makes it a felony to compromise voting equipment and increases protections against those seeking to harm to elections from within.”

“I thank Senate President Fenberg, Senator Priola and Representative Lontine for their leadership on this critical piece of legislation as well as our dedicated county clerks who worked closely with my office and our partners in the legislature to pass the Colorado Election Security Act. The legislation is now on its way to the Governor’s desk,” said Secretary Griswold.

The Colorado Election Security Act includes $1 million in new grant funding for counties which will be used to make security upgrades around Colorado’s voting equipment, specifically increased video surveillance and electronic key card access for rooms where equipment is stored.

“This new funding will ensure that our dedicated county clerks are able to upgrade physical safeguards around Colorado’s election infrastructure – a critical investment in our efforts to continually increase the security of Colorado elections,” said Secretary Griswold. “Colorado continues to demonstrate what it means to lead when it comes to delivering accessible and secure elections and I am proud of our work with the bill sponsors to provide this new $1 million in funding for our county partners.”

The bipartisan Colorado Election Security Act will further secure Colorado’s elections by expanding the physical security requirements around voting systems equipment. This legislation:

• Heightens security requirements around our voting equipment by requiring continuous video surveillance of all voting system components year-round and mandatory key card access to rooms where voting equipment is stored.
• Prohibits unauthorized imaging of voting equipment.
• Creates a felony for tampering with voting equipment; unauthorized access to or facilitating unauthorized access to voting equipment; or knowingly publishing voting system passwords online.
• Adds whistleblower protections for those reporting a breach of election laws.
• Creates a timeline for expedited judicial review of 30 days for enforcement actions initiated by the Secretary of State.
• Bars anyone from serving as a Designated Election Official who has been convicted of an election offense in Colorado, or has been convicted of sedition, insurrection, treason, or conspiracy to overthrow the government.
• Prohibits any elected official or candidate for office in a political subdivision with a population of 100,000 or more from having access to or being present in a room with voting equipment or devices without being accompanied by one or more people with authorized access.
• Creates a $1 million grant program to support counties in upgrading their physical security around voting equipment.

Colorado is a national leader in elections, including with this first-in-the-nation legislation. A summary of the bill can be found here.