Pillars Of Integrity

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Consent of the governed refers to the idea that a government’s legitimacy and moral right to use state power is justified and lawful only when consented, or agreed to, by the people over which that political power is exercised. This concept can be found in the very foundation of our government as outlined in the Declaration of Independence which says:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,

deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”

We educate voters on this concept as it not only runs through the Declaration of Independence, but also the Constitution, English Common Law, time-honored publications such as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, and other foundational concepts this country was built upon. As citizens we consent to allow this power to the government, or we withdraw this power from the government, through the election process, which is why elections are so important and must be done according to law, and in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

This concept may seem too simple to need much explanation, but we believe this is a critical element necessary to provide fair elections. Every citizen of the United States, resident of Colorado, and person of legal age is entitled to the right to vote in Colorado. We strongly agree and work to protect this right.  This right can be endangered in two ways:

1. People can be denied their right to vote by a system that overtly seeks to eliminate that right, or one that is more insidious by making voting overly difficult for a certain group of citizens. These methods seek to eliminate voting rights. 
2. People who are legally eligible to vote and who cast the vote according to the rules, can have their vote eliminated or cancelled due to people who voted more than once, are not legal US citizens, are not residents of the State of Colorado, or are otherwise voting in an illegal manner.

We strongly believe the right to vote needs to be protected, regardless of which of these two ways voters are harmed! In order to protect this right, we believe the process of registration is critical. This is an ongoing process that must be accurately maintained. This data is not static - people move, change their names, die, etc. Like all other areas of elections, the registration and maintenance of voter rolls needs to be managed in an open and transparent process. In addition, voter roll maintenance is required by federal law.

This division is focused on the process of managing the election at both the state and local levels. It is involved in the education and training of citizen volunteers to act as non-partisan observers to the process, which adds transparency and results in trust in the election process. Our involvement is not only at the time of the election, but throughout the year, to assure the outcome of the election will be fair, transparent, and efficient.

This division will oversee projects looking at a variety of voting processes including in-person voting, vote by mail, absentee voting, use of 3rd parties outside of state and county officials, and other related issues. Our efforts will look at the entire process from the very beginning to the time the final results re-certified. 

Our goal for this division is to educate the voting public on ways to have more credibility in their elections. We will also work with the Secretary of State, other Colorado election officials, and if necessary, the Colorado state legislature to improve the voting system. We hope to bring principles used by CPA firms in commercial audits to the election process in order to provide more transparency, increase credibility in the system, and do so in an efficient and effective manner.