Spanish Language Voting Advisory Committee (ACCESO) ACCESO is the Spanish word for "access." And it is the short name for the Elections Division's Spanish Language Voting Advisory Committee. The purpose of the group is to assist the division and offer guidance with voting outreach to Denver's limited-English, Spanish-speaking citizens. This is the advisory committee's mission statement:   "Provide advice and guidance to the Office of the Clerk and Recorder and its Elections Division to assist in communicating to the Spanish language community for purposes of providing elections information and promoting voting and participation of all citizens in the elections process."   Interested citizens are invited to join the advisory committee, as new ideas, insights and assistance are always welcome. The meeting schedule of the group varies with the election cycle. In the lead-up to the 2009 election, the committee is meeting approximately quarterly, at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments are provided. Please check for the next meeting date, time and place.   Meeting Cancelled       Agenda 10/22/09 Meeting Materials Previous meeting notes 8/20/09

Committee Structure and Background ACCESO Structure Membership is unrestrictive, and there is no specific term of commitment. New members are given a letter of appointment from Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley affirming their welcome into the group. The committee elects a chair, co-chair and secretary; and a steering committee that consults on issues between meetings.   Chair Stella Madrid, Denver Housing Authority Co-Chair Deborah Ortega, Denver Human Services Steering Committee The chair; the co-chair; and: Jon Gallegos, community representative; Gia Irlando, Council District 3 aide; Grace Lopez, Democratic Party of Colorado Background  This committee was first formed as the Spanish Language Advisory Board in 2002, after the City and County of Denver was informed by the U.S. Department of Justice that it must provide its election materials in Spanish as well as English. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973 aa-1a mandates the provision of bilingual election materials by the City and County of Denver, because the city meets the federal threshhold of having more than five percent population who are Spanish speakers with limited English.   The committee was formed in response to the federal mandate as an effective way of assisting the city in reaching out to this population with election and voting materials. The committee has a six-year history of active commitment to its mission, and provides an invaluable service to the city and its limited-English voters.