Secretary of State Mike Coffman, one of two GOP statewide elected officials and now running for a Congressional Seat has now deemed 35,000 (out of 120,000+) new registrations invalid due to a clerical error or interpretation of instruction in providing residence status AFTER THE FACT!

In short the CO voter registration form asks for a driver's license number, state-issued identification number, or social security number as proof of identity (link to form here) 

The Secretary of State's office is now telling voters they must have checked a box which indicates they do not have a driver's license or state ID card, in order for the social security number to be sufficient. 

  The sentence in the form states:

"Check here if you do not have a driver's license or state-issued identification card".  It does not say "at all" or "with you". 

This sentence of course is vague, and could be interpreted by each registrar differently.  When people have been trained (like me) to do voter registration by his office for many months, they have been told the box only needs to be checked if the person does not have a driver's license or state identification card AT ALL.    On the Secretary of State website, there is a link to a PDF document titled "Registration Information for New Voters".  After a list of documents allowable for establishing identification, it continues:

Or you may provide one of the following numbers without providing a physical copy of the number:

Valid Colorado Driver’s License number

 Valid Colorado Department of Revenue Identification number

 At least the four last digits of the voter’s Social Security number

 

According to reports, the Secretary of State's office has recently deemed up to 35,000 (this was told to me last night from the El Paso Democratic Party Chair) of these new registrations invalid, despite the fact they have been completed as instructed!   There are many reasons why persons didn't have their driver's license on them. A)  Imagine you run some errands with your spouse and your spouse drives, so you don't bring your driver's license with you.  B) Or, you could be taking a walk, working out at the gym, shopping, etc. C) You meet a voter registrar with a clipboard somewhere, and they offer to help you register to vote.  D) Or you don't have your driver's license with you, although you do have one at home, and you put your social security number on the form instead (a number unique to you).  The registrar collects all the necessary information, asks you to sign and date the form, and gives you a receipt with his/her signature.    According to Secretary of State's Coffman's new interpretation, the form is invalid if you are honest and do not check the box saying you do not have a driver's license (because you do - it is just not with you).  If you were dishonest and said you didn't have a driver's license, in order to use the social security number option, you may get away with it.    Of course pending lawsuits are spreading.  MEANWHILE, voter registration in Colorado ends at the close of business on Monday, October 6th.  Mail-in ballots, the choice of most of the new voters registered this year, are scheduled to be sent out October 6th, as well.   The national press can contact him at his campaign office at (303) 791-6453 or info@coffmanforcongress.com or the elections office at (303) 894-2200 ext. 6307 elections@sos.state.co.us .