It’s time to fix a broken system that restricts the voices of Colorado voters. As I’m learning firsthand, registered voters are being unnecessarily invalidated by outdated state rules that exclude — not include — more of us from the election process. We can and must do better.
If there’s one thing we’ve seen, it’s that Coloradans are tired of not being heard. “We have to do some things differently. My campaign will be focused on restoring fiscal responsibility, demanding accountability, and reforming a broken a system.” I launched my campaign for U.S. Senate with these words and beliefs and here I am just 6 months later fighting the bureaucracy, not just for me but also for every Coloradan whose voice should be heard. Our voices must all count.
Take Margaret Sais of Pueblo, married to Jose Sais, mother of 11 souls and friend to many others. She and her husband have lived and worked in Colorado their whole life, and have been registered to vote for years. Never mind her signature was somehow lost on a petition she signed that was handed over to the state. She could just as easily be one of the hundreds of signors whose signature was thrown out because she moved to a different home, in the same town, in the same congressional district, yet hadn’t updated her address with the Secretary of State – yes, the current system says her voice doesn’t count despite being an active voter.
Tens of thousands of everyday Coloradans have signed petitions for numerous candidates seeking access to primary ballots this June that give voters choice in whom they want to represent them. Unfortunately, they’ve participated in a broken system with processes stuck in the last century. A system that disregards them and throws away their signature because of clerical errors or a small oversight on the part of the voter or the person gathering the signatures. When the intent of the voter is clear, when that voter is who they say they are, when no fraud is evident; the voters voice should count! A big part of fixing the problem requires we fight through the bureaucracy, and fix a rigid system that ties the hands of officials and leaves everyone involved or watching scratching their head or asking does common sense ever prevail? The laws, rules, and standards that create the system should all have one overarching aim – give each voter voice and ensure it counts. This isn’t about just politics or even just my campaign; it really is about trust, confidence, and accountability that people demand from their government and those in positions of power to oversee it. This is a major reason I’m running for U.S. Senate – to fix a broken system and to ensure our government works for us, where our voices are heard, and where every American is treated equally under the law. A government that protects our rights, upholds the constitution, and defends our country. Where small businesses flourish creating good paying jobs, where parents are empowered to have choice in their child’s education. And, yes, a government that enables those that need it, with a hand up; not a hand out; and for majority of us, a government that keeps its hands off our lives – respecting our liberty, individual responsibility, and where every voice counts.
Together, I am confident that we can fix this broken system and ensure that all voices are heard. The next step will be to take this same common sense fight to Washington where conservative Colorado values are in short supply. Join me now in upholding the right of Coloradans to have their votes counted and voices heard.
We Are Colorado!
Ryan Frazier is a former Aurora city councilman and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.