In an effort to help insulate state elections from abuses, GOP lawmakers today announced two measures aimed at securing the state’s election process.

Sens. Scott Renfroe and Mark Scheffel joined House Republican Reps. Ken Summers and Frank McNulty in unveiling the plans to safeguard elections from those who aren't authorized to vote.  One bill would require voters to present photo identification when voting, and another would require prospective voters to provide proof of citizenship prior to voting.

“We have a responsibility as state lawmakers to protect the integrity of our elections,” Renfroe said. “People have an expectation that the voting process is secure and fair, these bills strive to meet those ends.”

A measure aimed at safeguarding the state’s voter-registration process also was announced today by Republicans.  The bill is similar to one offered last year by McNulty and outgoing Senate GOP chief Andy McElhany. Scheffel, of Parker, is the Senate sponsor this year.

“Only citizens are allowed to vote in Colorado--or anywhere else in the country, so it only makes sense that people wanting to participate in elections should have to prove their citizenship when registering to vote,” Scheffel said.  “I don’t think that’s too much to ensure only citizens vote in our elections."

The bill would require all Coloradans to provide one of several documents to prove their eligibility to vote, including birth certificates, U.S. passports, naturalization documents, or other forms identified by the federal government for proving citizenship.

The measures have gained the support of Secretary of State Mike Coffman, who is a longtime advocate of securing the state’s elections.  Coffmann supported the original incarnation of the bills earlier this year.