Today Colorado governor Jared Polis signed SB 24–131, a ban on concealed-carry guns in and around polling places, at ballot drop boxes, and at ballot counting facilities. Colorado joins 13 states, plus D.C., that prohibit open and concealed carry at polling sites. It is the second state, after Hawaii, to ban open and concealed carry at drop boxes.
Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and coauthor of Guns and Voting, a report by the Brennan Center and GIFFORDS Law Center, had the following comment:
“With this new ban, Colorado has made another crucial investment in the safety of voters, election officials, and election workers. Guns have no place in voting. Together with the state’s existing ban on open carry at voting sites, this new law will help protect Coloradans and their right to vote against intimidation and violence.”
Background
Colorado is now the third state to enact significant legislation in 2024 to strengthen protections against guns at the polls, joining New Mexico and Vermont. Massachusetts and Michigan are considering similar bills.
Related resources:
- Guns and Voting, Brennan Center for Justice and GIFFORDS Law Center (September 2023)
- “Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders,” Brennan Center for Justice (January 2024)
- “Local Election Officials Survey — May 2024,” Brennan Center for Justice (May 2024)
