Colorado begins recall election of Democratic state senators who supported gun-control legislation

Colorado voters are turning out in large numbers to cast ballots in a recall election for a pair of Democratic senators who supported gun-control legislation. Nearly 4,000 people voted early Thursday in the recall election of Sen. John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) and Sen. Angela Giron (D-Pueblo), Megan Schrader and Matt Steiner report for The Gazette in Colorado Springs. Election day is Tuesday, but voters can cast early ballots. (Gazette photo by Jerilee Bennett)

"Morse and Giron were targeted for recalls by the Basic Freedom Defense Fund after they supported gun legislation during the 2013 legislative session that later became law,"  The Gazette reports. A petition was launched, and received enough signatures to warrant a recall. After the bill was signed in March, gun supporters called for a national boycott of the state.

Sen. John Morse

The senators are drawing plenty of support from groups outside Colorado. A Denver Post review of the finance reports of 10 active issue committees involved in the recalls found that "Proponents of the recall have raised about $540,000, while opponents have collected nearly $3 million," Kurtis Lee and Zahira Torres report for the Post. Half of the money from those opposed to the recall came from out of state, while a large percentage of the money from those for the recall -- $368,000 -- came from outside Colorado. (Read more)

Sen. Angela Giron

There has been plenty of confusion revolving around the election, with some taking advantage of a new law that allows people to vote immediately after moving into a district. One such person is Jon Caldara, president of the conservative Independence Institute, who "lives in Boulder, well outside Morse's district, but he said he intends to move into Senate District 11 and under the new law that is sufficient to allow him register and vote," The Gazette reports. (Read more)

Caldara's move has drawn the ire of Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has asked the state's attorney general "to look into what he calls a political stunt" and "Hickenlooper said in a statement Monday attempts to disrupt the election could result in criminal prosecution," The Associated Press reports. (Read more)