Weekly Email 4/6/2026

Hinman Lake, Colorado

Before we dive in, this Guinness ad sends a powerful message of unity, just what we need right now. Watch here.

Topic of the Week: The Executive Order on Elections & What It Means for Your Vote

Dear Restore the Balance Community,

In previous weekly emails, we addressed the Trump administration's attempts to interfere with elections. We also examined the SAVE Act, which is currently under discussion in the Senate, but is stalled by Democratic opposition, and is on hold until after the Congressional two-week recess. It seems the White House is impatient; on March 31, the president signed an Executive Order that would give the federal government control over voter rolls. Furthermore, the order attempts to restrict mail-in voting by involving the USPS and withholding funds from noncompliant states.

There are multiple ways this EO would impact voters. Moving or changing your name would require your state to submit your new information to the federal government, which would confirm your eligibility to vote, instead of your county clerk. And what happens if the federal government cannot confirm your eligibility? You don't get to vote. The EO also requires that states intending to use the USPS for mail-in voting notify the USPS 90 days before the federal election and requires states to send a mail-ballot recipient list 60 days before the election. What if you move just one month before the elections? Again, you don't have a voice.

Shortly after the order was issued, several states immediately vowed to sue, while voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. On Friday, Colorado AG Phil Weiser announced that he was joining a coalition of states in suing the president, calling the order "illegal" and "unconstitutional". Even so, now is not a time to be complacent. Voice your concerns about this unconstitutional infringement on your voting rights to the Colorado Secretary of State and your representatives.

For Mesa County residents, the County Commissioners have recently been very active in opposing mandates from other levels of government. It would seem appropriate that they also be notified of objections to this mandate and asked to publicly oppose this incursion by the federal government into the role of counties, and the costs potentially to be borne by local government.

What Can You Do?

Don't sit still in the face of this attack on your voting rights. Contact your representatives and demand that they strongly oppose this Executive Order and take affirmative steps to stop this unconstitutional infringement on your voting rights:

• Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold — jena.griswold@sos.state.co.us

• U.S. Congressman Jeff Hurd — Email here | (970) 208-0455

• Senator Michael Bennet — Email here | (202) 224-5852

• Senator John Hickenlooper — Email here | (202) 224-5941

• Mesa County Commissioners — mcadmin@mesacounty.us

• All representatives — Contact Your Reps

Resources & Further Reading:

• Weiser Joins Lawsuit Against Trump Over Mail-In Voting Executive Order — Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

• Trump's New Elections Executive Order — A Few Interesting Tidbits — Cato Institute

• Analysis of the Executive Order

• Mail Voting in the US: Data Points to Very Low Fraud — Brookings Institution

• Mail Voting, Absentee Voter Fraud & Trump's Claims — Time

• Mail Voting Is Safe & Secure — Bipartisan Policy Center

Upcoming Events

April 11 — West Slope People's Forum | 2:00–4:00 p.m. Avalon Theatre, Grand Junction

April 15 — RTB Social Hour | 4:30–6:30 p.m. The Ale House, Grand JunctionNote: change of venue!

April 21 — RTB Roundtable on Healthcare | 7:00–9:00 p.m. Redlands Community Center, 2463 Broadway, Grand Junction.Only a few spots left! Reserve your seat here.

Save the Date — May 21: RTB Annual Spring Gathering | 6:30–9:00 p.m. Guest speaker: NYT columnist David French. Registration opens April 10 — link to follow.

On the Radar: Local Government Meetings

• Board of County Commissioners: Tuesdays @ 9am

• Grand Junction City Council: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 5:30pm

• Town of Palisade Board of Trustees Meeting: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 6pm

• Fruita City Council: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm

• D51 School Board: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 5pm (public comments accepted on 3rd Tuesdays only)

• Mesa County Library Board: Last Thursdays @ 5:30pm

• Public Health Board: Monthly Tuesdays @ 3pm

Thank you to all who have submitted photos, podcasts, and video recommendations. We will publish a recommendation in each category every week. Please keep them coming!

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Don't forget to vote in 2026: June primaries, November general.