Health of Democracy


HB11-1012 Unaffiliated Electors To Vote In Primary 
Short Title: Unaffiliated Electors To Vote In Primary
Sponsors: CASSO
Summary: Allows an eligible elector who is unaffiliated with a political party to request to cast the ballot of a political party in a primary election without declaring affiliation to the political party.
Status: 02/09/2011 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The Department of State requires a cash funds appropriation of $245,560 for FY 2011-12 from the Department of State Cash Fund.
News:

HB11-1035 Blue Book Information Statement 
Short Title: Blue Book Information Statement
Sponsors: COURT / CARROLL
Summary: Requires the ballot information booklet or other publication of initiated and referred measures to contain a statement before each measure informing the voter that the title was drafted by professional staff and is a summary for ballot purposes only.
Status: 03/17/2011 Governor Action - Signed
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The bill is expected to increase costs to the Legislative Council by less than $5,000 in FY 2012-13 for the 2012 general election. Adding required language to the analysis of each measure will likely increases the number of pages in the Blue Book, which will increase costs for printing and postage.
News: Carroll-Court ballot initiative transparency bill sails through House and Senate

HB11-1072 Designated Rep Of Initiative Proponents 
Short Title: Designated Rep Of Initiative Proponents
Sponsors: MCNULTY / MORSE
Summary: Requires the designated representatives of initiatives to appear at a title board meeting and to certify, by a notarized affidavit signed at the first title board meeting, that they are familiar with the laws related to initiatives and a summary related to the responsibilities of the designated representatives.
Status: 06/02/2011 Governor Action - Signed
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The bill is expected to result in fine revenue of less than $5,000 per year to the Department of State Cash Fund.
News:

HB11-1090 Readability Of Statewide Ballot Titles 
Short Title: Readability Of Statewide Ballot Titles
Sponsors: COURT
Summary: Establishes a uniform style for statewide ballot titles for initiated and referred measures beginning with the 2012 general election.
Status: 02/18/2011 House Committee on Appropriations Postpone Indefinitely
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The Department of State will have costs of between $0.8 million and $3.1 million in FY 2012-13 for the 2012 general election, conditional upon the Secretary of State allowing reimbursement for counties.
News:

HB11-1096 Voter Preregistration At Age Sixteen 
Short Title: Voter Preregistration At Age Sixteen
Sponsors: GARDNER D.
Summary: Allows a person who has reached 16 years of age but who will not reach 18 years of age by the date of the next election to preregister with the county clerk and recorder or on line via the secretary of state's official web site. The registration will automatically become active when the preregistered person reaches 18 years of age.
Status: 02/09/2011 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The bill is expected to increase costs in the Department of State by less than $2,000 in FY 2011-12.
News:

HB11-1117 Subpoena ALJ Campaign Finance 
Short Title: Subpoena ALJ Campaign Finance
Sponsors: MCCANN / KING S.
Summary: If a witness or party fails to comply with an administrative subpoena issued to address an alleged campaign finance reporting violation, the bill allows the agency or party that requested the administrative subpoena to petition a district court to order compliance with the administrative subpoena.
Status: 03/21/2011 Governor Action - Signed
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: No fiscal impact.
News: Senate OKs bill giving arrest power for subpoenas

HB11-1131 Mail Ballot Elections 
Short Title: Mail Ballot Elections
Sponsors: MURRAY
Summary: Requires all general, primary, odd-year, recall, and congressional vacancy elections to be conducted as mail ballot elections.
Status: 02/10/2011 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The bill will increase costs in the Department of State by $6,140 in FY 2011-12, paid from the Department of State Cash Fund.
News:

SB11-018 Proof Of Citizenship For Voter Regis 
Short Title: Proof Of Citizenship For Voter Regis
Sponsors: HARVEY / HOLBERT
Summary: Requires a person to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. Citizenship can be established by providing a passport, birth certificate, U.S. naturalization document, certificate of naturalization number or any other proof of citizenship established by federal immigration law. Those who registered before July 1, 2011, would exempt.
Status: 01/26/2011 Senate Committee on State, Veterans & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: Costs to county clerks will vary by county based on population, demographics, and other factors. The estimated first-year cost for a mid-size county is $50,000.
News:

SB11-057 Metro Dist Mail Elections 
Short Title: Metro Dist Mail Elections
Sponsors: HARVEY / MCNULTY
Summary: Allows the designated election official of a metropolitan district having 10,000 or more electors to only send mail-in ballots to eligible electors that returned a ballot in the most recent district election, have appeared on the permanent mail-in ballot list after the most recent district election; or have notified the district of the elector's desire to receive a mail-in ballot for the district election.
Status: 04/20/2011 Governor Action - Signed
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: The Department of State will have costs of approximately $2,200 to modify the statewide voter registration system (SCORE), to make information on the date voters are placed on the list of permanent mail-in voter available in the system.
News:

SCR11-001 Ballot Measures 
Short Title: Ballot Measures
Sponsors: SHAFFER B. & ... / MURRAY & ...
Summary: • Increases the number of votes needed to pass a constitutional amendment from a majority to at least 60 percent. • Allows a constitutional amendment passed prior to 2013 to be repealed by a majority vote. • Adds a requirement that a minimum number of petition signatures for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment be gathered from voters who reside in each congressional district. • Increases the requirement from a majority to a two-thirds vote of the state legislature to change, repeal or supersede a citizen-initiated law for three years after it becomes effective.
Status: 05/11/2011 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Adhere
Fiscal Notes:

Fiscal Note

Fiscal Impact: Costs are estimated to increase by $70,000 in FY 2012-13,
$210,000 in FY 2013-14, and $140,000 in FY 2014-15.
News: “Son of Ref O” easily passes House
House vote makes changing constitution harder
Proposal to make it harder to amend Colorado Constitutution advances in Senate