A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the creation of the "Vote Transparency
Page 1, Line 102Protocol Act".
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates new processes for vote verification, voter verification, and audit transparency.
For vote verification, the bill requires ballots to be assigned vote tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers. Voters are given both of these numbers and the secretary of state (secretary) publishes these numbers on a publicly accessible vetting transparency ledger and a publicly accessible ballot transparency ledger, respectively. The number of vote tracking numbers on the vetting transparency ledger must equal the number of voter identifier numbers on the ballot transparency ledger. After a ballot is cast, the secretary publishes the information on the ballot on a cast vote transparency ledger along with the corresponding vote tracking number. A voter may challenge the entry on the cast vote transparency ledger associated with their vote tracking number. The secretary shall maintain a challenged vote ledger and shall publish the status to challenges of entries on the cast vote transparency ledger on the challenged vote ledger.
For voter verification, the bill requires voters to provide the secretary with the following no less than one month before an election in order to receive a mail ballot for that election:
- The voter's mailing address;
- A copy of the voter's relevant identification;
- Verification that the voter satisfies the necessary qualifications to register as a voter;
- A request to receive a mail ballot;
- Acknowledgment of the penalties for committing fraud in connection with casting a vote; and
- Verification that the voter is a human.
- Prohibits the distribution of mail ballots more than 2 weeks before the relevant election;
- Requires the secretary, within 30 days after the effective date of the bill, to withdraw the state from participation in the electronic registration information system; and
- Requires the secretary to annually remove all registration information from the the statewide voter registration system and for that removal to be verified by an entity that is not a state agency.
- A voter may keep a copy of the RAAN associated with their ballot;
- The secretary shall enter the first 12 digits of a ballot's RAAN (partial RAAN) in the RAAN tracking database to ensure that the ballot's RAAN was one of the RAANs that the secretary generated for the election;
- The secretary shall scan the ballot; and
- The secretary shall enter the ballot's partial RAAN, along with the votes cast with that ballot, in a downloadable, searchable, and publicly accessible cast vote record database.
A voter can provide this information either on the secretary's website or in connection with the payment of a utility bill. Further, the bill:
For audit transparency, the bill requires the secretary to generate for every election a number of randomly generated and assigned audit numbers (RAANs) equal to the amount of electors who voted in the previous election plus one percent. The secretary shall enter each RAAN it generates into a RAAN tracking database. The secretary must randomly assign and attach each RAAN to a ballot. After a ballot is cast:
After inputting information for a ballot into the cast vote record database, the secretary shall verify that information against the scan of the ballot. An individual can challenge the information in the cast vote record database associated with a partial RAAN by presenting the complete RAAN to the secretary.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 11 to article 7 of title 1 as follows:
Page 3, Line 3PART 11
VOTE TRANSPARENCY PROTOCOL
Page 3, Line 41-7-1101. Short title.The short title of this part 11 is the "Vote Transparency Protocol Act".
Page 3, Line 51-7-1102. Definitions.As used in this part 11, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 3, Line 6(1) "Distributed ledger" means a permanent database that
Page 3, Line 7is consensually shared and synchronized across multiple
Page 3, Line 8locations. Each record in a distributed ledger must be attached
Page 3, Line 9to the immediately preceding record by way of a one-way hash
Page 3, Line 10function expressed as a previous hash. The general assembly
Page 3, Line 11shall ensure that all distributed ledgers are easily searchable, accurate, and secure.
Page 3, Line 12(2) "One-way hash function" means a mathematical
Page 3, Line 13function that takes a variable-length input string and converts
Page 3, Line 14it into a fixed-length text sequence that is computationally
Page 3, Line 15difficult to invert. At a minimum, the one-way hash function
Page 4, Line 1must be a secure hash algorithm two hundred fifty-six one-way cryptographic hash function.
Page 4, Line 2(3) "Previous hash" means a unique hash generated by the one-way hash function for a distributed ledger.
Page 4, Line 31-7-1103. Vote transparency protocol applicability and
Page 4, Line 4implementation - rules. (1) Notwithstanding any law to the
Page 4, Line 5contrary, this part 11 applies in all elections and supersedes any
Page 4, Line 6conflicting provision of this title 1 or any other law that governs the conduct of elections to which this part 11 applies.
Page 4, Line 7(2) The secretary of state may adopt rules as necessary to implement this part 11.
Page 4, Line 81-7-1104. Vote verification - definitions. (1) (a) Each elector
Page 4, Line 9who casts a vote in an election must be assigned and provided a voter identifier number.
Page 4, Line 10(b) Each ballot cast in an election must be assigned a vote
Page 4, Line 11tracking number, and the elector who cast that ballot must be provided with that vote tracking number.
Page 4, Line 12(2) (a) For each election, the secretary of state shall
Page 4, Line 13create a ballot transparency ledger, cast vote transparency ledger, and vetting transparency ledger.
Page 4, Line 14(b) The secretary of state shall ensure that the total
Page 4, Line 15number of voter identifier numbers in the ballot transparency
Page 4, Line 16ledger is equal to the total number of vote tracking numbers in the vetting transparency ledger.
Page 4, Line 17(3) If, upon reviewing the cast vote transparency ledger,
Page 4, Line 18an eligible elector who cast a vote in an election that has not
Page 4, Line 19yet had its result certified believes that their vote was
Page 5, Line 1improperly recorded, that elector may present their vote
Page 5, Line 2tracking number and voter identifier number to the secretary
Page 5, Line 3of state and request review and correction of their vote. The
Page 5, Line 4secretary of state shall resolve a request made pursuant to this subsection (3) as quickly and transparently as possible.
Page 5, Line 5(4) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 5, Line 6(a) "Ballot transparency ledger" means a publicly
Page 5, Line 7available distributed ledger that consists of the voter identifier numbers for electors who cast a vote in an election.
Page 5, Line 8(b) "Cast vote transparency ledger" means a publicly
Page 5, Line 9available distributed ledger that consists of the following for each ballot cast in an election:
Page 5, Line 10(I) The vote tracking number; and
(II) The information contained within the ballot.
Page 5, Line 11(c) "Vetting transparency ledger" means a publicly
Page 5, Line 12available distributed ledger that consists of the vote tracking numbers for ballots cast in an election.
Page 5, Line 13(d) "Voter identifier number" means a unique, anonymous text identifier assigned to an elector who casts a ballot.
Page 5, Line 14(e) "Vote tracking number" means a unique, anonymous text identifier assigned to a ballot.
Page 5, Line 151-7-1105. Voter verification. (1) In order to receive a mail
Page 5, Line 16ballot packet, as defined in section 1-7.5-103, for an election, no
Page 5, Line 17earlier than one month before that election, an elector must provide the following to the secretary of state:
Page 5, Line 18(a) The elector's mailing address;
Page 6, Line 1(b) A copy of the voter's identification as defined in section 1-1-104 (19.5);
Page 6, Line 2(c) Verification that the voter satisfies the necessary qualifications to register as a voter pursuant to section 1-2-101;
Page 6, Line 3(d) A request to receive a mail ballot;
Page 6, Line 4(e) An acknowledgment of the penalties for committing fraud in connection with casting a vote; and
Page 6, Line 5(f) If providing the information described in this
Page 6, Line 6subsection (1) on the secretary of state's website, evidence that
Page 6, Line 7the elector is a human through the completion of a "Completely
Page 6, Line 8Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart".
Page 6, Line 9(2) The secretary of state shall ensure than an elector
Page 6, Line 10may provide the secretary of state with the information
Page 6, Line 11described in subsection (1) of this section on the secretary of
Page 6, Line 12state's website or in connection with the payment of an electricity, gas, or water bill.
Page 6, Line 13(3) Mail ballot packets, as defined in section 1-7.5-103,
Page 6, Line 14shall not be distributed for an election more than two weeks before the date of that election.
Page 6, Line 15(4) The secretary of state shall, within thirty days after
Page 6, Line 16the effective date of this section, withdraw the state from participation in the electronic registration information center.
Page 6, Line 17(5) (a) The secretary of state shall annually remove all
Page 6, Line 18registration information from the statewide voter registration system created in section 1-2-301.
Page 6, Line 19(b) The secretary of state shall ensure that an entity
Page 7, Line 1that is not a state agency annually verifies that the secretary of state has complied with subsection (5)(a) of this section.
Page 7, Line 21-7-1106. Audit transparency - definitions. (1) (a) Before
Page 7, Line 3every election, the secretary of state shall generate a number
Page 7, Line 4of randomly generated and assigned audit numbers equal to one
Page 7, Line 5hundred one percent of the number of votes cast the last time a similar election was held.
Page 7, Line 6(b) The secretary of state shall enter each randomly
Page 7, Line 7generated and assigned audit number it creates for an election
Page 7, Line 8in a randomly generated and assigned audit number database for that election.
Page 7, Line 9(c) For each ballot in an election, the secretary of state
Page 7, Line 10shall randomly assign a randomly generated and assigned audit
Page 7, Line 11number and attach the randomly generated and assigned audit number.
Page 7, Line 12(2) After a ballot is cast:
Page 7, Line 13(a) A voter may chose to keep a copy of the randomly
Page 7, Line 14generated and assigned audit number assigned to the voter's ballot; and
Page 7, Line 15(b) The secretary of state shall:
Page 7, Line 16(I) Enter the partial randomly generated and assigned
Page 7, Line 17audit number for the ballot in the randomly generated and
Page 7, Line 18assigned audit number database it created for that election to
Page 7, Line 19ensure that the partial randomly generated and assigned audit
Page 7, Line 20number corresponds with a randomly generated and assigned
Page 7, Line 21audit number that the secretary of state generated for that
Page 7, Line 22election;
(II) Scan the ballot; and
Page 8, Line 1(III) Enter the ballot's partial randomly generated and
Page 8, Line 2assigned audit number and the information within the ballot in a cast vote record database for the election.
Page 8, Line 3(3) The secretary of state shall verify the ballot scan
Page 8, Line 4created pursuant to subsection (2)(b)(II) of this section
Page 8, Line 5corresponds with the information that the secretary of state
Page 8, Line 6enters in the cast vote record database pursuant to subsection(2)(b)(III) of this section.
Page 8, Line 7(4) (a) The secretary of state shall create an efficient
Page 8, Line 8and transparent process through which an individual may
Page 8, Line 9present a randomly generated and assigned audit number and
Page 8, Line 10challenge the information associated with the corresponding
Page 8, Line 11partial randomly generated and assigned audit number in the cast vote record database.
Page 8, Line 12(b) The secretary of state may charge an individual a
Page 8, Line 13maximum of twenty dollars in connection with the initiating of
Page 8, Line 14a challenge pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section, but the
Page 8, Line 15secretary of state shall refund any such charged amount if the challenge is successful.
Page 8, Line 16(5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 8, Line 17(a) "Cast vote record database" means a publically
Page 8, Line 18available distributed ledger that for each ballot cast in an election contains the following:
Page 8, Line 19(I) The partial randomly generated and assigned audit
Page 8, Line 20number associated with the ballot; and
(II) The information within the ballot.
Page 9, Line 1(b) "Partial randomly generated and assigned audit
Page 9, Line 2number" means the first twelve characters of a randomly generated and assigned audit number.
Page 9, Line 3(c) "Randomly generated and assigned audit number"
Page 9, Line 4means a string of thirty-two randomly generated alpha-numeric characters.
Page 9, Line 5(d) "Randomly generated and assigned audit number
Page 9, Line 6tracking database" means a distributed ledger that includes the following:
Page 9, Line 7(I) Each randomly generated and assigned audit number generated by the secretary of state for the relevant election;
Page 9, Line 8(II) The partial randomly generated and assigned audit
Page 9, Line 9number that corresponds to each randomly generated and
Page 9, Line 10assigned audit number generated by the secretary of state for the relevant election; and
Page 9, Line 11(III) Whether the ballot associated with a randomly
Page 9, Line 12generated and assigned audit number was cast in the relevant election.
Page 9, Line 13SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 9, Line 14takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 9, Line 15ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 9, Line 16that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 9, Line 17of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 9, Line 18act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 9, Line 19effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 10, Line 1November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.