Voting Should Be Super Easy

Did you know that between Janu­ary 1, 2021 and Decem­ber 7, 2021 19 states passed 34 laws restrict­ing access to voting, making voting more difficult.

All states with moderate to low turnout should model the states with the highest turnout. Colorado is one such state. They have mail in voting. Copy of a piece of identification is required along with the mail in ballot when you register to vote for the first time. What forms of identification do they take? A comprehensive list designed to ensure all of their adult population can send in a mail-in ballot and have their vote counted.

The following documents are acceptable forms of identification:

• A valid Colorado driver’s license or valid identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue.
• A valid U.S. passport.
• A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government or of Colorado, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of Colorado.
• A valid pilot’s license issued by the federal aviation administration or other authorized agency of the U.S.
• A valid U.S. military identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector.
• A copy of a current (within the last 60 days) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector.
• A Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native Blood.
• A valid Medicare or Medicaid card issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate for the elector.
• Certified documentation of naturalization.
• A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by an institute of higher education in Colorado.
• A valid veteran identification card issued by the U.S. department of veterans affairs veterans health administration with a photograph of the eligible elector.
• A valid identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government certifying tribal membership.

Any form of identification listed above that shows your address must show a Colorado address to qualify as an acceptable form of identification. 

The following documents are also considered acceptable forms of identification for voting:

• Verification that a voter is a resident of a group residential facility.
• Verification that a voter is a person committed to the department of human services and confined and eligible to register and vote shall be considered sufficient identification of such person.
• Written correspondence from the county sheriff or his or her designee to the county clerk indicating that a voter is confined in a county jail or detention facility.

It is clear to the reader that Colorado wants to make it easy to vote, with the mail in ballot, easy to provide ID with its large list of acceptable forms of ID. The result that they want is to get everyone to vote in their democracy.

There is a saying in computer science, “don’t reinvent the wheel”. For states in the south passing legislation to make it harder to vote, why? Are the things you are trying to prevent, like voter fraud which is virtually non-existent being overshadowed by rejected ballots and low voter turnout.

Colorado has virtually no voter fraud and really high turnout. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Copy their success and make it your success too.