On April 25, 2025, Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross (R) published a public a letter opposing Republicans’ so-called “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility” (SAVE) Act,” (pdf) which would make it harder for Americans to vote, saying the bill would do “more harm than good.” The bill passed the House on April 10th by a vote of 220-208.
Western slope CD-3 Representative Jeff Hurd (R) of Grand Junction voted for the SAVE Act, essentially a voter suppression law that would make it vastly harder for married women and rural voters to register to vote or update their voter registrations. The bill was introduced under the guise of making it harder for non-citizens to vote, even thought there are already laws in place that prohibit non-citizens from voting. This bill is backed by convicted felon and sexual abuser President Donald Trump. The House rejected numerous attempts to amend the bill to protect womens’ right to vote.
The bill would block Americans from being able to use their driver’s license or military IDs to register to vote, and would eliminate existing voter registration methods designed to make it easier to register, like registering by mail or online. Since registration would have to be done in person, military service members deployed overseas would be forced to return to the U.S. to register to vote.
Women who changed their surnames after getting married would not be allowed to use their birth certificates to prove their citizenship, since their certificates wouldn’t bear their current last names, and an estimated 21 million eligible voters would have to pay significant fees to obtain the required forms of documentation they would need under the Act to cast ballots.
Clerk Gross stated numerous additional concerns about the bill, including that it will potentially make voters have to prove their citizenship multiple times, and make it harder for rural residents, seniors and women to vote.
Gross wrote:
Here are my primary concerns:
1. Increased Complexity and Voter Confusion: The bill makes it more difficult for individuals to prove their citizenship potentially requiring them to do so multiple times. This will especially affect rural voters who may face long travel distances to election offices. There are also specific concerns for seniors and individuals who change their names (e.g., after marriage), as their birth certificates may not match their IDs. Additionally, since only five states issue Real IDs and Colorado isn’t one of them, some citizens, like those with Tribal IDs or military personnel, may face difficulties proving citizenship.
2. Disenfranchisement Risks: The bill could lead to voter confusion and disenfranchisement, particularly since it only applies to federal elections. Without sufficient funding for voter education counties would bear the full burden of informing voters about new requirements.
3. Administrative Challenges: This legislation would introduce new procedures for our office requiring increased staffing, training and resources. The criminal and civil penalties for errors made by election officials, whether staff or volunteers, would add significant pressure and liability. 4. Costs and Delays: There will be substantial costs involved in training staff and poll workers as well as delays in reporting election results due to the added procedures. The lack of state level process to support this legislation only compounds these issues.
4. Costs and Delays: There will be substantial costs involved in training staff and poll workers as well as delays in reporting election results due to the added procedures. The lack of state level process to support this legislation only compounds these issues.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns further and explore potential amendments to this bill.”
The bill was denounced by Rep. Bobby Scott (VA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. The League of Women Voters also opposes the bill. Democracy Docket says the bill extends the GOP’s war on women to the voter rolls.
“Colorado has been REAL ID compliant since 2012. This means that REAL ID eligible Coloradans currently have our REAL IDs. Our customers were either issued a REAL ID during their first issuance of a Colorado credential or when they renewed their existing Colorado credential between 2013 and 2025. If you are a US Citizen, Permanently Lawfully Present, Citizen of Freely Associated States or a CDL Holder, your Colorado credential is already REAL ID compliant- so there is nothing you need to do!”
Creating obstacles to citizens voting is a Republican tactic because their policies lack support by the majority of Americans. Unfortunately 30% of the voters sat out this last election because neither party appealed to them, allowing illegitimate policies like the SAVE Act get passed. Though political parties have changed their names, the impetus behind this legislation is the same that motivated the 19th Century Democratic Party of the south during Reconstruction: marginalize people of color, co-opt the poor and ignorant whites to thinking that the wealthy will enact policies that will favor them. What has to happen now, following the cyclical nature of our political life, is a new Progressive movement needs to arise and break the cycle again as it did at the end of the Gilded Age.
I contacted Rep. Jeff Hurd shortly after he voted for the SAVE Act and chastised him for doing so. I still haven’t heard back from him or his office. You can email Jeff at: https://hurd.house.gov/contact/email-me