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Sign-up of voters lacking, group says

Federal law requires aid agencies to help their clients register

By Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 29, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Colorado human service agencies have been violating federal law because they are failing to help people register to vote, according to a national report released Monday.

In 2006, human service agencies in some of the state's largest counties, including El Paso, Arapahoe and Weld, did not register a single person to vote, according to the report by Project Vote, which works to increase civic engagement.

Overall, human service agencies statewide registered only 4,667 people in 2006, while motor vehicle agencies registered 222,322 that year, the report said.

The report is "cause for alarm," said Ben Hanna, state political director for Colorado ACORN, a group that surveyed county public assistance agencies in November and December for the study.

Hanna said tens of thousands of people in Colorado who are eligible to vote aren't registered.

The 1995 National Voter Registration Act requires public-assistance agencies and welfare-benefits offices to help clients register to vote. It's known as the "motor voter" law because it allows people to register to vote when they apply for driver's licenses.

Liz McDonough, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Human Services, which oversees county human service agencies, said her office does not have statistics to compare to Project Vote's report.

She acknowledged that agencies have not been fully complying with federal law.

"I think that over time procedures may have become more lax in certain arenas," she said.

McDonough said there have been no sanctions or repercussions for noncompliance.

State DHS is creating rules and procedures about the law and plans to help local agencies do a better job of compliance, she said.

The secretary of state's office also is lending a hand, a spokesman said Monday.

Both agencies met with Project Vote and ACORN last month to discuss the report.

Hanna said they agreed about the need for better training and a uniform process for registering voters and reporting those statistics.

Comments

  • January 28, 2008

    10:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EastVail writes:

    Take a hike! It's the responsibility of a potential voter to get registered, NOT the government's responsibility to recruit voters!

    Sheesh, if someone is too lazy to get up and register to vote, that person probably doesn't deserve the opportunity and will come to the polls totally unprepared, selecting candidates based upon whose name sounds the nicest or something.

    Good riddance.

  • January 29, 2008

    11:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    KnitNut writes:

    Human Service Agencies are responsible for helping make an entire generation (and more) dependant on the government for everything from cradle to grave. Why don't we require these agencies to get folks their driver's licenses for them too. Get us out of this mess! Vote for Ron Paul at your precinct caucus Feb 5.