Sen. White protects voter privacy

RBC I A bill sponsored by Senator Jean White, R-Hayden, and Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, to protect voting privacy while also ensuring transparency in the process unanimously passed the Senate State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee this week.
“Free and fair elections simply can’t happen without an ironclad guarantee of voter privacy,” said White. “I am confident that this bill will provide additional oversight of our electoral process while guaranteeing voter anonymity.”
Under current law if a citizen submits a Colorado Open Record request (CORA) they are able to view ballots that have already been cast, which could reveal how an individual voted. Senate Bill 155 puts in place provisions that will protect personal voter information, while also maintaining transparency in the process. The bill establishes a blackout period 45 days prior to an election and 17 days after an election, or until certification. The blackout period is meant to guarantee that ballots remain untouched, preventing them from being misplaced or miscounted. The ballots will be made available to examine once the blackout period ends.