by Silvia Entenza
Young people show up time and time again to fight for issues they care about – issues like economic justice, racial equality, and democracy reform. The narrative that they just don’t care about voting is far from the truth.
In actuality, young people do care; their frustration lies in the state of our nation and systemic barriers that limit participation in the democratic process. These barriers are inconvenient and disenfranchising, particularly for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ youth. This is about a system that doesn’t work for people who have been historically excluded from these conversations.
Across the country, state legislatures continue to pass voter suppression laws. Sure, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1993 National Voter Registration Act are in place to protect the right to vote – but we clearly cannot count on our federally elected officials to respect the rule of law and our rights. Colorado must act independently to safeguard voting rights by passing SB25-001, the Colorado Voting Rights Act (COVRA).
Young people do care; their frustration lies in the state of our nation and systemic barriers that limit participation in the democratic process.
New Era Colorado supports this bill in alignment with our Youth Agenda, a policy platform that demands that we change the system that has historically undervalued young people’s electoral participation. We’ve led and supported advocacy efforts to make ballots more accessible, improve voter registration policies, put polling places on college campuses, and more. In Colorado Springs, Colorado College got its first Voter Service Polling Center for statewide elections in 2024. While we’ve made a lot of progress, we cannot and will not stop there.
The Colorado Voting Rights Act is a step towards inclusivity, transparency, and language justice in elections. Over 16 percent of Colorado voters speak Spanish, and one-third of these voters do not understand English well enough to understand their ballot and vote independently. Even though many of our counties provide access to Spanish ballots, most municipalities do not – meaning these voters need to secure their own outside translation assistance. This is not just a minor inconvenience but a direct barrier.
Passing SB25-001 will make it possible for thousands of eligible voters to participate in their local elections without language barriers. Colorado must step up to send a powerful message: our communities will not wait around for federal action. Our elected officials must support SB25-001 to ensure communities of color are fairly represented in elections.
Silvia Entenza is the Southern Regional Lead Organizer at New Era Colorado Action Fund and Young People for All People Independent Expenditure. A graduate of Colorado College, Silvia is excited to connect with community members and contribute to the collective work being done in Colorado. Her dedication to organizing is her oath to her family and loved ones.