First & Fourteenth has filed suit on behalf of the Republican National Committee, the Douglas County Colorado Clerk and Recorder, and Congressman Jeff Crank challenging Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s policy of registering overseas voters who have never resided in the United States.
Article VII of the Colorado Constitution, like that of almost every other state, limits voting to citizens who have “resided in this state.” Colorado’s Secretary of State has, however, allowed persons who have never lived in the U.S.—let alone Colorado—to register and vote in Colorado based solely on a spouse’s or parent’s former Colorado residency. But that’s not how residency works: you can’t get it from your parents or your spouse, you get it by actually living somewhere and intending to make it your permanent home.
Allowing these constitutionally ineligible voters onto voter rolls, and permitting them to vote on everything from Governor to local tax issues, dilutes the votes of actual Colorado residents. It also creates a competitive disadvantage for Republican candidates and the party itself, as Colorado’s overseas voters lean heavily Democratic, with registration running roughly 53 percent Democrat to under 12 percent Republican.
The suit seeks a court order declaring the statute and guidance unlawful under Colorado’s constitution and requiring the clean-up of Colorado’s voter rolls to limit the franchise to persons who are actually residents of the state.
First & Fourteenth attorneys Michael Francisco, Chris Murray, and Erin Gust represent the RNC, Clerk Sheri Davis, and Rep. Jeff Crank in this matter.
Read Filing Here: RNC v. Griswold