06 11 25 Denver Clerk & Recorder Paul López discusses affect of new election laws

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is Colorado's Morning news.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Election rules are always changing, in the recent passage of
the Save Act requiring proof of US citizenship to register
to vote in federal braces as election officials talking and
some of those leaders came together for a conversation last
night about how the changes in law could affect voting
and joining me now in the ka Common Spirit of
Health hotline Denver Clerkton recorders Paul Lopez, who hosted the
conversation last night, Clerkez Lopez, appreciate you coming on with

(00:24):
me this morning.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
How did last night's session go?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Thank you, good morning. We had a great panel last
night at the Denvery Central Library. We had good attendance
and you know, had a conversation on the you know,
the Save Act, where if it were to pass, and
the problem that it would create, specifically for most women.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Talk about the Save Act a little bit.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
What you if there is anything you like about and
the things that have you concerned.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Well, you know, here's the thing. You know, Colorado's election
models the gold standard. We all know this. These changes
it sounds great on the on your you know, on
its face, right, it sounds like, well, you know, all
they're doing is checking for citizenship right and making sure
that your only citizens they're voting. We already do that.
This would require such a proof of citizenship that women

(01:16):
who have basentainly been divorced, or people who have been
divorced or have changed their last names, new Americans that
have changed the you know, whose names have changed and
doesn't match their birth certificate, would actually create a problem
for them with if it doesn't match perfectly what it's
on your birth certificate, you won't be able to vote.

(01:41):
And the other part of it is it would require
you know, passports, you know, certified birth certificate, things like that. Things.
It would not to our service members to use their
military ID to be able to prove citizenship and vote.
And so it would require one another layer of unnecessary

(02:07):
and I think very nefarious uh uh id or citizenship
roof of citizenship that right now we already do.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Do non citizens vote, clerk Lopez?

Speaker 2 (02:19):
And and if they do, I know that's illegal, But
if they do, do you always catch mean, what is
what is the percentages of that of that actually happening?

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Is that of reality?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Yeah, on my mother's grave, there are no non citizens
that are voting. And if there is anybody that attempts
to vote that is not eligible to vote, or if
there's any kind of you know, quote unquote fraud, we
catch it, and we catch it for them very enough,
like different different methods, and we're able to catch it.

(02:50):
We turn that over the DA very very very rare.
The only the only time we ever catch something like
this is by mistake, right, somebody you know, fills out
a voter registration and we ping it. We're able to
you know, work with the Secretary State's office to if
there's anybody that's ever suspected of being on you know,

(03:11):
not eligible to vote, those people that folks person is
notified and then you know, for I think nine times
out of ten, which it's not even ten times, it
can never count as as a clerk and recorder that
person had you know, uh registered to vote too soon
before they took their citizenship desk right or as that happened.

(03:34):
So you know, it is not a thing that happens.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Why do you think then this Save Act was put forth?
Is there something greater here? Is this about trying to
satiate those that believe in in these myths of voter fraud?

Speaker 3 (03:50):
You know, I yes, I I think it's it's nefarious.
I think it's based off of false information. It's based
off of a lie. Right, undocumented folks are not voting.
Non citizens are not voting in elections. If you came
all this way and are you know, trying to get
everything squared away to be in this country to get

(04:13):
your citizenship, something like that would completely annihilate your chances
of getting citizenship.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Right.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
It is a you know, it is it is a
folly to try to do so. Right, it is as
already against the law. People are coming all the way
over here escaping you know, violence, escaping poverty, all this stuff.
As a refugee can asylum just to be able to vote.
We have a hard time getting people who are uh,

(04:44):
you know, eligible registered voters to vote. Right.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Could this be seen as as we wrap up with you,
is could this be seen as some form of voter
suppression to some degree? I, you know, I think it's clear.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yes, I would say that the the easy answer to
that is, yes, it is voter suppression. Yes, it is
targeted towards folks who you know, I believe, you know,
the crafters of this bill are very afraid of coming
to the polls. Right, and at the end of the day,
people are worried. They're concerned about the potential changes that

(05:21):
would you know, ultimately happen at the federal level, which
could end up hurting so many vulnerable communities and especially
folks who you know, you know, have changed their need
one point or another.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Denver Clerk and recorder Paul Lopez, thank you, thank you
so much.