Colorado removes 372,000 inactive voters from rolls after Judicial Watch legal action

Colorado election officials have reported a significant increase in the number of inactive voter registrations removed from state rolls following a legal dispute with the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch.

The issue stems from a lawsuit filed in 2020, in which Judicial Watch alleged that Colorado had failed to properly maintain its voter registration lists in compliance with the federal National Voter Registration Act. 

The advocacy group said that outdated or ineligible registrations had inflated voter rolls in several counties.

State officials denied any violation of federal law but ultimately agreed to settle the case in 2023. As part of the agreement, Colorado committed to providing regular data on voter roll maintenance to Judicial Watch for several years.

According to figures cited after the settlement, the number of voter registrations removed during routine list maintenance jumped from about 172,000 to more than 300,000 in a given reporting period.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has argued that the state already had a sufficient system in place for keeping voter rolls up to date, emphasizing that removals typically involve individuals who have moved, died, or otherwise become ineligible.