(1) (a) Registration records must be left in the custody of the county clerk and recorder, who is responsible for them. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), the oaths or affirmations, applications for affidavit registration, federal postcard applications, applications for change of residence or change of name, and other papers provided for by this part 2 shall be preserved by the county clerk and recorder and shall not be destroyed until after the next general election. Such registration records, whether paper or digital, are public records subject to examination by any person, and such person has the right to make copies of the records during office hours.
(b) A county clerk and recorder may destroy paper voter registration records as soon as they have been digitally recorded in the statewide voter registration system.
(2) The voter information provided by a preregistrant who will not turn eighteen years of age by the date of the next election shall be kept confidential in the same manner as, and using the programs developed for, information that is kept confidential pursuant to section 24-72-204 (3.5). Nothing in this subsection (2) shall be construed to require any request, application, or fee for such confidentiality. When the preregistrant will be eighteen years of age on the date of the next election, or on January 1 of the year in which the preregistrant will be eligible to vote in any primary election under section 1-2-101 (2)(c), such information is no longer confidential under this subsection (2).
Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 661, § 2, effective January 1, 1993. L. 2013: Entire section amended, (HB 13-1135), ch. 184, p. 679, § 8, effective August 7. L. 2016: (1) amended, (SB 16-142), ch. 173, p. 572, § 18, effective May 18. L. 2019: (2) amended, (HB 191278), ch. 326, p. 3007, § 8, effective August 2.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 1-2-224 as it existed prior to 1992.
Cross references: For the short title ("Colorado Votes Act") in HB 19-1278, see section 1 of chapter 326, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.