Colorado asked to reinstate purged voters

DENVER, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Common Cause of Colorado has asked a judge to reinstate by Election Day the names of more than 20,000 people purged from voter rolls in the state.

Common Cause joined with Mi Familia Vota Educations Fund and the Service Employees International Union in filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that claims voters were illegally purged, The Denver Post reported Tuesday.

The lawsuit alleges Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman violated the National Voting Rights Act by purging the names within 90 days of the Nov. 4 election.

Within that 90-day window, names cannot be removed unless a voter asks for removal, dies, is declared incapacitated or is convicted of a felony, the groups say in the lawsuit to be argued in court Wednesday.

Coffman maintains his office has upheld all federal and state laws and that only 14,049 names were purged, the majority of whom had moved or had duplicate registrations, the Post reported.

"Voters can rest assured that maintaining accurate voter rolls is our top priority," Coffman said.