republic-os/legislation/us/states/co/2021a/sb-21-188.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Ballot Access For Voters With Disabilities"
description: "Current law allows a voter with a disability to use an electronic voting device that produces a paper record to vote in a mail ballot election. If a voter receives a ballot through an electronic voting device, the voter is required to print the ballot to return it to the applicable election official. The act allows a voter to either print and return the ballot or to return the ballot by electronic transmission if the voter affirms the voter is an \"eligible person\" as defined in the act. Regardless of the method of return, the act specifies that to be valid, a ballot must include a signed affidavit or a copy of an acceptable form of identification and must be received by the election official in the applicable jurisdiction before the close of polls on the day of the election.The act also requires the secretary of state to establish an electronic transmission system through which a voter with a disability may request and return a ballot.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2021A"
identifier: "SB 21-188"
citation: "Colorado SB 21-188 (2021A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["David Ortiz", "Jessie Danielson", "Monica Duran"]
version_count: 10
action_count: 14
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-03-19T06:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-05-21T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5a87a9ff-7a6c-4a58-b7d9-21205770f678"
source_url: "http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-188"
source_hash: "ad308a5d8ead14630c4edac10d3ea4400d4e025b8ee290baede65f21a0163a62"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-co"]
---

# Colorado SB 21-188 (2021A) — Ballot Access For Voters With Disabilities

Current law allows a voter with a disability to use an electronic voting device that produces a paper record to vote in a mail ballot election. If a voter receives a ballot through an electronic voting device, the voter is required to print the ballot to return it to the applicable election official. The act allows a voter to either print and return the ballot or to return the ballot by electronic transmission if the voter affirms the voter is an "eligible person" as defined in the act. Regardless of the method of return, the act specifies that to be valid, a ballot must include a signed affidavit or a copy of an acceptable form of identification and must be received by the election official in the applicable jurisdiction before the close of polls on the day of the election.The act also requires the secretary of state to establish an electronic transmission system through which a voter with a disability may request and return a ballot.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_sb188_h_sa_001.pdf)
2. **Engrossed (04/09/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_eng.pdf)
3. **Final Act (05/13/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_enr.pdf)
4. **Introduced (03/19/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_01.pdf)
5. **PA1 (04/07/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188ssta_01.pdf)
6. **PA2 (04/30/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188sa_01.pdf)
7. **Reengrossed (04/12/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_rn3.pdf)
8. **Rerevised (05/05/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_rer.pdf)
9. **Revised (05/04/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2021A/bills/2021a_188_rev.pdf)
10. **Signed Act (05/21/2021)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2021a_188_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- CONCUR — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- REPASS — **20–13** (pass) · upper
- BILL — **41–22** (pass) · lower
- BILL — **22–13** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- David Ortiz — primary (person)
- Jessie Danielson — primary (person)
- Monica Duran — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-05-21T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-13T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-05-13T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2021-05-13T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2021-05-06T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
- **2021-05-05T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-04T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- **2021-05-03T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2021-04-29T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-12T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs `introduction`
- **2021-04-12T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-09T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee `reading-2`
- **2021-04-06T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-19T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5a87a9ff-7a6c-4a58-b7d9-21205770f678`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).