Colorado enacts automatic voter registration

A bill to expand Colorado's automatic voter registration system is awaiting Gov. Jared Polis' signature.

The measure, which the state legislature cleared last week, works this way: Anyone who applies for a driver's license or ID card will have his or her data sent to the secretary of state. If the person has provided proof of citizenship, the county clerk will review the information and send a postcard notifying the person of a successful registration. The potential voter will then have 20 days to accept the registration and choose to register with a party, or to decline the registration. People applying for Medicaid will go through a similar process.

"We need to make sure that anyone who is eligible to vote has no barriers to access the ballot and this bill ensures an accurate and secure way to accomplish this. Democracy works when we all get to participate and that's what this bill does," said Democratic state Rep. Daneya Esgar, one of the bill's primary sponsors.