Colorado accidentally sent voter registration notices to 30,000 residents who are not citizens

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Workplace mailed postcards to roughly 30,000 non-citizens dwelling within the state notifying them on how they may register to vote. The workplace mentioned it’s at the moment attempting to find out what led to the error.

The state emphasizes that if anybody who isn’t a U.S. citizen tries to register to vote, Colorado’s on-line voter registration system will stop their software from going by way of.

The postcards had been mailed to residents final week who had non-citizen Colorado driver’s licenses. The state sends postcards each two years to Coloradans it believes are eligible to vote however not but registered. In huge letters on the entrance it learn, “Ensure that your voice is heard this November.” It then directs individuals to “Register to VOTE at the moment at www.GoVoteColorado.gov.”

“The Division has turn into conscious that roughly 30,000 EBU [Eligible But Unregistered] postcard mailers had been incorrectly despatched to ineligible Coloradans,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Colorado Secretary of State’s Workplace. “The workplace is endeavor an inside overview of the incident and can take any corrective motion that’s warranted.”

The workplace mentioned the issue occurred when the state in contrast an inventory of potential unregistered voters from a multi-state group Colorado belongs to, with native DMV data. The DMV information included individuals who maintain non-citizen driver’s licenses — which had been created to permit individuals with out authorized residency to drive legally — however a formatting error induced the system to not flag them as ineligible.

The postcards, which had been printed in English and Spanish and browse partly, “A message from Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold” inform the recipient “Our data point out that you simply or your family could also be eligible to vote, however don’t seem like registered at your present deal with.”

The mailing does checklist the state’s voter eligibility necessities, which embody that somebody should be 18 years outdated by Election Day, a United States citizen, and a Colorado resident for no less than 22 days earlier than the upcoming election. 

Griswold, a Democrat, was elected in 2018 after defeating Republican incumbent, Wayne Williams. She’s in search of a second time period in workplace and operating towards Republican Pam Anderson, the previous Jefferson county clerk.

Griswold’s workplace mentioned it’s within the technique of sending out one other discover to ineligible people who acquired the unique mailer, “and reminding them that solely people who meet the above necessities are eligible to register.”

The state mentioned it can take further steps to ensure not one of the non-citizens register to vote. 

“The Division may even examine the checklist of roughly 30,000 people who incorrectly obtained the EBU mailer postcard to the statewide voter checklist each day to make sure none of these people register. County clerks refer unlawful registrations to their native district legal professional for overview,” mentioned the spokesperson.  

Colorado is required to ship out postcards to eligible however non-registered voters as a part of its membership within the multistate group the Digital Registration Info Heart, often called ERIC. 

Colorado was a founding member of ERIC in 2012 beneath former Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler. The group recurrently evaluations member states’ voter rolls to determine individuals who could have moved or died. Its purpose is to “enhance the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and enhance entry to voter registration for all eligible residents.” 

Thirty-one states are members. The group has come beneath fireplace from some conservatives who’ve made baseless claims that the group’s purpose is to register Democratic voters. 

Election leaders within the states that belong to ERIC are pretty evenly cut up between Republicans and Democrats and deny these claims.  

It is a creating story and might be up to date.