DENVER—Colorado has new rules for public review of voted ballots under a controversial measure signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Supporters of the bill signed Thursday say it’s necessary to prevent chaos in the November election. But critics have called it a blow to open government.
The Denver Post reports that opponents plan to file a lawsuit to stop the law from taking effect ( ). Opponents include of the Colorado Lawyers Committee Election Task Force and groups such as Common Cause and Colorado Ethics Watch.
The Colorado County Clerks Association pushed for the legislation following a 2011 Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that made voted ballots public records.
The clerks were concerned open records requests for ballots might overwhelm their offices, particularly around election time.
