Acceso's Mission
"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."
Acceso's History
- In 1973, a provision was added to the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, mandating that counties must provide bilingual election materials and information if 5 percent or more of their voting-age citizens speak a language other than English, or have limited English skills.
- In 2002, the City and County of Denver met the 5 percent threshold for Spanish speakers, and formed the original Spanish Language Advisory Board (SLAB).
- In 2008, newly-elected Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O’Malley built upon the efforts of SLAB, creating the Acceso Spanish-Language Voter Advisory Board.
- In 2009, Clerk O’Malley collaborated on and backed an ordinance to formally establish the committee, giving the board permanence and a more formal structure.
- The Acceso ordinance took effect January 11, 2010. The first Acceso board members were appointed in July 2010. Members then elected the committee's officers.
- In 2013, Acceso endorsed the position of Denver Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson in favor of House Bill 13-1303, creating the Voter Access & Modernized Elections Act. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Hullinghorst/Pabon and Senator Giron, advances the goals of Acceso by modernizing elections to reflect the way people vote.
Acceso's Structure
Today, Acceso has 16 members representing various geographic areas of Denver. The members serve three years and participate in scheduled meetings and educational activities about the electoral process.