DENVER—A hearing on how Colorado voter rolls are maintained will consider a proposed commission to promote best election practices.
Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher says the hearing will be held May 5.
Before the last presidential election, critics filed a lawsuit against Buescher’s predecessor, Mike Coffman, over whether removals of certain voter registrations were being handled correctly. That case is pending in federal court.
Groups filing the lawsuit complained that voters whose mailed confirmation notices of registration are returned as undeliverable shouldn’t be stricken from voting rolls.
Buescher has proposed allowing those voters’ names to remain in poll books, meaning they are eligible voters. But they won’t receive election notice mailings.
The hearing will consider Buescher’s proposal to form an advisory election commission. He said Friday that he envisions the panel being made up of county, municipal and special district election administrators, political party representatives and other members of the public. He or an official with his office would chair the commission, which would meet twice yearly.
Buescher said election processes have changed since the Help America Vote Act was enacted after the contested 2000 presidential recount, and improvements in voting need to be balanced against consistency and convenience for voters.
The secretary of state’s office will host the May 5 hearing at 2 p.m. It is open to the public.
