Election workers process ballots for the presidential primaries on Super Tuesday at the Denver Elections Division, March 5, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt for Colorado Newsline)
I’m a lifelong Coloradan, and I’ve spent more than a decade talking with folks across this state about the policies we need to strengthen our families and communities. One thing I’ve learned is that people from all walks of life, whether they’re living in the heart of Denver or from my hometown Delta, want their voices to be heard. They want to engage. But too often, the pathways for doing so just aren’t clear.
So many people spend their days caring for children, grandchildren and aging parents, and working around the clock to provide for their families. Taking the time to fill out mounds of government paperwork to register to vote is a luxury many cannot afford. That’s why I support a promising policy here in Colorado that would make it easier and more secure for every eligible voter to participate in our democracy — it’s called secure automatic voter registration (SAVR) at Medicaid.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Our state Legislature passed a bill five years ago expanding SAVR to Medicaid offices, and the policy would make it easier for people enrolling in Medicaid to register to vote. That’s because much of the information folks must provide when they apply for Medicaid — including name and proof of citizenship — is the same information needed to register to vote. Once the government collects this information, they affirm an applicant’s eligibility to vote and automatically register those who are eligible. Folks will then receive a card in the mail offering them the opportunity to opt out.
This is a policy with the potential to engage more than 428,000 eligible but currently unregistered voters across our state, according to an estimate from the Institute for Responsive Government. Many of those are folks who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to register — in fact, Medicaid enrollment is typically negatively correlated with voter registration.
That’s transformational change — but there’s one problem. Colorado, along with six other states and Washington, D.C., are waiting for clarity from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before implementing their SAVR programs. This delay is costing people their ability to participate in our democracy.
A core part of the work I do with the Positive Women’s Network , a national network of women like myself living with HIV, is registering people to vote. As I knock doors and meet people, I can’t help but think back on my own childhood.
I’m the daughter of a Mexican American father and an Indigenous mother. My dad served as a police officer and city councilman. But despite my dad’s service, I remember thinking that our voices didn’t matter — that we couldn’t affect change.
What I’ve come to realize is that when communities are empowered to participate in democracy, our voices absolutely matter and we can drive change. I draw inspiration and pride from the conversations I have with neighbors every day — like a recent interaction where I knocked the door of a home headed by a grandmother in a wheelchair, who was caring for both her children and grandchildren. We sat on the stoop and had such a powerful conversation about our stories, our values, and our desire to have our voices heard. We were able to get her 18-year-old granddaughter registered to vote that day, and I believe that was a moment for her to take ahold of real power.
But I and my PWN sisters can only knock so many doors. It shouldn’t be so difficult for people to access the fundamental right to vote. That’s why SAVR is such a transformative policy, and why we need to implement it as soon as possible.
I don’t want little girls growing up today in Delta or anywhere else in our state to think their voices don’t matter. Their voices do matter, and policies like SAVR at Medicaid will help them begin a lifelong journey of participating in our democracy.
DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Local News
