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Colorado House Bill HB1193

Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado House Bill HB1193 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 First Regular Session
22 Seventy-fifth General Assembly
33 STATE OF COLORADO
44 INTRODUCED
55
66
77 LLS NO. 25-0812.02 Pierce Lively x2059
88 HOUSE BILL 25-1193
99 House Committees Senate Committees
1010 State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
1111 A BILL FOR AN ACT
1212 C
1313 ONCERNING THE CREATION OF THE "VOTE TRANSPARENCY101
1414 P
1515 ROTOCOL ACT".102
1616 Bill Summary
1717 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
1818 not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
1919 passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
2020 applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
2121 http://leg.colorado.gov
2222 .)
2323 The bill creates new processes for vote verification, voter
2424 verification, and audit transparency.
2525 For vote verification, the bill requires ballots to be assigned vote
2626 tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers.
2727 Voters are given both of these numbers and the secretary of state
2828 (secretary) publishes these numbers on a publicly accessible vetting
2929 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
3030 Suckla,
3131 SENATE SPONSORSHIP
3232 (None),
3333 Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
3434 Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
3535 Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. transparency ledger and a publicly accessible ballot transparency ledger,
3636 respectively. The number of vote tracking numbers on the vetting
3737 transparency ledger must equal the number of voter identifier numbers on
3838 the ballot transparency ledger. After a ballot is cast, the secretary
3939 publishes the information on the ballot on a cast vote transparency ledger
4040 along with the corresponding vote tracking number. A voter may
4141 challenge the entry on the cast vote transparency ledger associated with
4242 their vote tracking number. The secretary shall maintain a challenged vote
4343 ledger and shall publish the status to challenges of entries on the cast vote
4444 transparency ledger on the challenged vote ledger.
4545 For voter verification, the bill requires voters to provide the
4646 secretary with the following no less than one month before an election in
4747 order to receive a mail ballot for that election:
4848 ! The voter's mailing address;
4949 ! A copy of the voter's relevant identification;
5050 ! Verification that the voter satisfies the necessary
5151 qualifications to register as a voter;
5252 ! A request to receive a mail ballot;
5353 ! Acknowledgment of the penalties for committing fraud in
5454 connection with casting a vote; and
5555 ! Verification that the voter is a human.
5656 A voter can provide this information either on the secretary's website or
5757 in connection with the payment of a utility bill. Further, the bill:
5858 ! Prohibits the distribution of mail ballots more than 2 weeks
5959 before the relevant election;
6060 ! Requires the secretary, within 30 days after the effective
6161 date of the bill, to withdraw the state from participation in
6262 the electronic registration information system; and
6363 ! Requires the secretary to annually remove all registration
6464 information from the the statewide voter registration
6565 system and for that removal to be verified by an entity that
6666 is not a state agency.
6767 For audit transparency, the bill requires the secretary to generate
6868 for every election a number of randomly generated and assigned audit
6969 numbers (RAANs) equal to the amount of electors who voted in the
7070 previous election plus one percent. The secretary shall enter each RAAN
7171 it generates into a RAAN tracking database. The secretary must randomly
7272 assign and attach each RAAN to a ballot. After a ballot is cast:
7373 ! A voter may keep a copy of the RAAN associated with
7474 their ballot;
7575 ! The secretary shall enter the first 12 digits of a ballot's
7676 RAAN (partial RAAN) in the RAAN tracking database to
7777 ensure that the ballot's RAAN was one of the RAANs that
7878 the secretary generated for the election;
7979 ! The secretary shall scan the ballot; and
8080 HB25-1193
8181 -2- ! The secretary shall enter the ballot's partial RAAN, along
8282 with the votes cast with that ballot, in a downloadable,
8383 searchable, and publicly accessible cast vote record
8484 database.
8585 After inputting information for a ballot into the cast vote record database,
8686 the secretary shall verify that information against the scan of the ballot.
8787 An individual can challenge the information in the cast vote record
8888 database associated with a partial RAAN by presenting the complete
8989 RAAN to the secretary.
9090 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
9191 SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 11 to article2
9292 7 of title 1 as follows:3
9393 PART 114
9494 VOTE TRANSPARENCY PROTOCOL5
9595 1-7-1101. Short title. T
9696 HE SHORT TITLE OF THIS PART 11 IS THE6
9797 "V
9898 OTE TRANSPARENCY PROTOCOL ACT".7
9999 1-7-1102. Definitions. A
100100 S USED IN THIS PART 11, UNLESS THE8
101101 CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :9
102102 (1) "D
103103 ISTRIBUTED LEDGER" MEANS A PERMANENT DATABASE THAT10
104104 IS CONSENSUALLY SHARED AND SYNCHRONIZED ACROSS MULTIPLE11
105105 LOCATIONS. EACH RECORD IN A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER MUST BE ATTACHED12
106106 TO THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING RECORD BY WAY OF A ONE -WAY HASH13
107107 FUNCTION EXPRESSED AS A PREVIOUS HASH . THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY14
108108 SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL DISTRIBUTED LEDGERS ARE EASILY SEARCHABLE ,15
109109 ACCURATE, AND SECURE.16
110110 (2) "O
111111 NE-WAY HASH FUNCTION " MEANS A MATHEMATICAL17
112112 FUNCTION THAT TAKES A VARIABLE-LENGTH INPUT STRING AND CONVERTS18
113113 IT INTO A FIXED-LENGTH TEXT SEQUENCE THAT IS COMPUTATIONALLY19
114114 DIFFICULT TO INVERT. AT A MINIMUM, THE ONE-WAY HASH FUNCTION20
115115 HB25-1193-3- MUST BE A SECURE HASH ALGORITHM TWO HUNDRED FIFTY -SIX ONE-WAY1
116116 CRYPTOGRAPHIC HASH FUNCTION .2
117117 (3) "P
118118 REVIOUS HASH" MEANS A UNIQUE HASH GENERATED BY THE3
119119 ONE-WAY HASH FUNCTION FOR A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER .4
120120 1-7-1103. Vote transparency protocol applicability and5
121121 implementation - rules. (1) N
122122 OTWITHSTANDING ANY LAW TO THE6
123123 CONTRARY, THIS PART 11 APPLIES IN ALL ELECTIONS AND SUPERSEDES ANY7
124124 CONFLICTING PROVISION OF THIS TITLE 1 OR ANY OTHER LAW THAT8
125125 GOVERNS THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS TO WHICH THIS PART 11 APPLIES.9
126126 (2) T
127127 HE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY ADOPT RULES AS NECESSARY10
128128 TO IMPLEMENT THIS PART 11.11
129129 1-7-1104. Vote verification - definitions. (1) (a) E
130130 ACH ELECTOR12
131131 WHO CASTS A VOTE IN AN ELECTION MUST BE ASSIGNED AND PROVIDED A13
132132 VOTER IDENTIFIER NUMBER.14
133133 (b) E
134134 ACH BALLOT CAST IN AN ELECTION MUST BE ASSIGNED A VOTE15
135135 TRACKING NUMBER, AND THE ELECTOR WHO CAST THAT BALLOT MUST BE16
136136 PROVIDED WITH THAT VOTE TRACKING NUMBER .17
137137 (2) (a) F
138138 OR EACH ELECTION, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL18
139139 CREATE A BALLOT TRANSPARENCY LEDGER , CAST VOTE TRANSPARENCY19
140140 LEDGER, AND VETTING TRANSPARENCY LEDGER .20
141141 (b) T
142142 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ENSURE THAT THE TOTAL21
143143 NUMBER OF VOTER IDENTIFIER NUMBERS IN THE BALLOT TRANSPARENCY22
144144 LEDGER IS EQUAL TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTE TRACKING NUMBERS IN23
145145 THE VETTING TRANSPARENCY LEDGER .24
146146 (3) I
147147 F, UPON REVIEWING THE CAST VOTE TRANSPARENCY LEDGER ,25
148148 AN ELIGIBLE ELECTOR WHO CAST A VOTE IN AN ELECTION THAT HAS NOT26
149149 YET HAD ITS RESULT CERTIFIED BELIEVES THAT THEIR VOTE WAS27
150150 HB25-1193
151151 -4- IMPROPERLY RECORDED , THAT ELECTOR MAY PRESENT THEIR VOTE1
152152 TRACKING NUMBER AND VOTER IDENTIFIER NUMBER TO THE SECRETARY2
153153 OF STATE AND REQUEST REVIEW AND CORRECTION OF THEIR VOTE . THE3
154154 SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL RESOLVE A REQUEST MADE PURSUANT TO4
155155 THIS SUBSECTION (3) AS QUICKLY AND TRANSPARENTLY AS POSSIBLE .5
156156 (4) A
157157 S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE6
158158 REQUIRES:7
159159 (a) "B
160160 ALLOT TRANSPARENCY LEDGER " MEANS A PUBLICLY8
161161 AVAILABLE DISTRIBUTED LEDGER THAT CONSISTS OF THE VOTER9
162162 IDENTIFIER NUMBERS FOR ELECTORS WHO CAST A VOTE IN AN ELECTION .10
163163 (b) "C
164164 AST VOTE TRANSPARENCY LEDGER " MEANS A PUBLICLY11
165165 AVAILABLE DISTRIBUTED LEDGER THAT CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING FOR12
166166 EACH BALLOT CAST IN AN ELECTION:13
167167 (I) T
168168 HE VOTE TRACKING NUMBER ; AND14
169169 (II) T
170170 HE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE BALLOT .15
171171 (c) "V
172172 ETTING TRANSPARENCY LEDGER " MEANS A PUBLICLY16
173173 AVAILABLE DISTRIBUTED LEDGER THAT CONSISTS OF THE VOTE TRACKING17
174174 NUMBERS FOR BALLOTS CAST IN AN ELECTION .18
175175 (d) "V
176176 OTER IDENTIFIER NUMBER" MEANS A UNIQUE, ANONYMOUS19
177177 TEXT IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED TO AN ELECTOR WHO CASTS A BALLOT .20
178178 (e) "V
179179 OTE TRACKING NUMBER " MEANS A UNIQUE, ANONYMOUS21
180180 TEXT IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED TO A BALLOT.22
181181 1-7-1105. Voter verification. (1) I
182182 N ORDER TO RECEIVE A MAIL23
183183 BALLOT PACKET, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1-7.5-103, FOR AN ELECTION, NO24
184184 EARLIER THAN ONE MONTH BEFORE THAT ELECTION , AN ELECTOR MUST25
185185 PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE :26
186186 (a) T
187187 HE ELECTOR'S MAILING ADDRESS;27
188188 HB25-1193
189189 -5- (b) A COPY OF THE VOTER'S IDENTIFICATION AS DEFINED IN1
190190 SECTION 1-1-104 (19.5);2
191191 (c) V
192192 ERIFICATION THAT THE VOTER SATISFIES THE NECESSARY3
193193 QUALIFICATIONS TO REGISTER AS A VOTER PURSUANT TO SECTION 1-2-101;4
194194 (d) A
195195 REQUEST TO RECEIVE A MAIL BALLOT;5
196196 (e) A
197197 N ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE PENALTIES FOR COMMITTING6
198198 FRAUD IN CONNECTION WITH CASTING A VOTE ; AND7
199199 (f) I
200200 F PROVIDING THE INFORMATION DESCRIBED IN THIS8
201201 SUBSECTION (1) ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S WEBSITE, EVIDENCE THAT9
202202 THE ELECTOR IS A HUMAN THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF A "COMPLETELY10
203203 A
204204 UTOMATED PUBLIC TURING TEST TO TELL COMPUTERS AND HUMANS11
205205 A
206206 PART".12
207207 (2) T
208208 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ENSURE THAN AN ELECTOR13
209209 MAY PROVIDE THE SECRETARY OF STATE WITH THE INFORMATION14
210210 DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION ON THE SECRETARY OF15
211211 STATE'S WEBSITE OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE PAYMENT OF AN16
212212 ELECTRICITY, GAS, OR WATER BILL.17
213213 (3) M
214214 AIL BALLOT PACKETS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1-7.5-103,18
215215 SHALL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED FOR AN ELECTION MORE THAN TWO WEEKS19
216216 BEFORE THE DATE OF THAT ELECTION .20
217217 (4) T
218218 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL, WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER21
219219 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION , WITHDRAW THE STATE FROM22
220220 PARTICIPATION IN THE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION INFORMATION CENTER .23
221221 (5) (a) T
222222 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ANNUALLY REMOVE ALL24
223223 REGISTRATION INFORMATION FROM THE STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION25
224224 SYSTEM CREATED IN SECTION 1-2-301.26
225225 (b) T
226226 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ENSURE THAT AN ENTITY27
227227 HB25-1193
228228 -6- THAT IS NOT A STATE AGENCY ANNUALLY VERIFIES THAT THE SECRETARY1
229229 OF STATE HAS COMPLIED WITH SUBSECTION (5)(a) OF THIS SECTION.2
230230 1-7-1106. Audit transparency - definitions. (1) (a) B
231231 EFORE3
232232 EVERY ELECTION, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL GENERATE A NUMBER4
233233 OF RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBERS EQUAL TO ONE5
234234 HUNDRED ONE PERCENT OF THE NUMBER OF VOTES CAST THE LAST TIME A6
235235 SIMILAR ELECTION WAS HELD.7
236236 (b) T
237237 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ENTER EACH RANDOMLY8
238238 GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER IT CREATES FOR AN ELECTION9
239239 IN A RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER DATABASE10
240240 FOR THAT ELECTION.11
241241 (c) F
242242 OR EACH BALLOT IN AN ELECTION, THE SECRETARY OF STATE12
243243 SHALL RANDOMLY ASSIGN A RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT13
244244 NUMBER AND ATTACH THE RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT14
245245 NUMBER.15
246246 (2) A
247247 FTER A BALLOT IS CAST:16
248248 (a) A
249249 VOTER MAY CHOSE TO KEEP A COPY OF THE RANDOMLY17
250250 GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THE VOTER 'S18
251251 BALLOT; AND19
252252 (b) T
253253 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL:20
254254 (I) E
255255 NTER THE PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED21
256256 AUDIT NUMBER FOR THE BALLOT IN THE R ANDOMLY GENERATED AND22
257257 ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER DATABASE IT CREATED FOR THAT ELECTION TO23
258258 ENSURE THAT THE PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT24
259259 NUMBER CORRESPONDS WITH A R ANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED25
260260 AUDIT NUMBER THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE GENERATED FOR THAT26
261261 ELECTION;27
262262 HB25-1193
263263 -7- (II) SCAN THE BALLOT; AND1
264264 (III) E
265265 NTER THE BALLOT'S PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND2
266266 ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER AND THE INFORMATION WITHIN THE BALLOT IN3
267267 A CAST VOTE RECORD DATABASE FOR THE ELECTION .4
268268 (3) T
269269 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL VERIFY THE BALLOT SCAN5
270270 CREATED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2)(b)(II) OF THIS SECTION6
271271 CORRESPONDS WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE7
272272 ENTERS IN THE CAST VOTE RECORD DATABASE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION8
273273 (2)(b)(III)
274274 OF THIS SECTION.9
275275 (4) (a) T
276276 HE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL CREATE AN EFFICIENT10
277277 AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS THROUGH WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY11
278278 PRESENT A RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER AND12
279279 CHALLENGE THE INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CORRESPONDING13
280280 PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER IN THE14
281281 CAST VOTE RECORD DATABASE .15
282282 (b) T
283283 HE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY CHARGE AN INDIVIDUAL A16
284284 MAXIMUM OF TWENTY DOLLARS IN CONNECTION WITH THE INITIATING OF17
285285 A CHALLENGE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (4)(a) OF THIS SECTION, BUT THE18
286286 SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL REFUND ANY SUCH CHARGED AMOUNT IF THE19
287287 CHALLENGE IS SUCCESSFUL.20
288288 (5) A
289289 S USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE21
290290 REQUIRES:22
291291 (a) "C
292292 AST VOTE RECORD DATABASE " MEANS A PUBLICALLY23
293293 AVAILABLE DISTRIBUTED LEDGER THAT FOR EACH BALLOT CAST IN AN24
294294 ELECTION CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING :25
295295 (I) T
296296 HE PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT26
297297 NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH THE BALLOT ; AND27
298298 HB25-1193
299299 -8- (II) THE INFORMATION WITHIN THE BALLOT .1
300300 (b) "P
301301 ARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT2
302302 NUMBER" MEANS THE FIRST TWELVE CHARACTERS OF A RANDOMLY3
303303 GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER .4
304304 (c) "R
305305 ANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER "5
306306 MEANS A STRING OF THIRTY-TWO RANDOMLY GENERATED ALPHA -NUMERIC6
307307 CHARACTERS.7
308308 (d) "R
309309 ANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER8
310310 TRACKING DATABASE" MEANS A DISTRIBUTED LEDGER THAT INCLUDES THE9
311311 FOLLOWING:10
312312 (I) E
313313 ACH RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER11
314314 GENERATED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE RELEVANT ELECTION ;12
315315 (II) T
316316 HE PARTIAL RANDOMLY GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT13
317317 NUMBER THAT CORRESPONDS TO EACH RANDOMLY GENERATED AND14
318318 ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER GENERATED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR15
319319 THE RELEVANT ELECTION; AND16
320320 (III) W
321321 HETHER THE BALLOT ASSOCIATED WITH A RANDOMLY17
322322 GENERATED AND ASSIGNED AUDIT NUMBER WAS CAST IN THE RELEVANT18
323323 ELECTION.19
324324 SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act20
325325 takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the21
326326 ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except22
327327 that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V23
328328 of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this24
329329 act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take25
330330 effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in26
331331 HB25-1193
332332 -9- November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the1
333333 official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.2
334334 HB25-1193
335335 -10-