The passing of Supreme Court Justice and women’s equality champion Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, brought a surge of voter registration and requests for mail ballots across the country — a 118% increase over the previous weekend according to the national nonpartisan technology platform vote.org. 

But for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, registering to vote can come with significant consequences: residential addresses become public record, making it easier for abusers to find them. Over the last decade, Colorado has worked to guarantee survivor confidentiality in the voting process.  

“Everyone has the right to participate in our democracy,” Boulder County Clerk Molly Fitzpatrick says. “And we should be doing everything we can to ensure that reality can be achieved for people who have experienced domestic violence, for people who are survivors.” 

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