Title 1, Elections

The secretary of state shall prepare a certificate of election for each presidential elector who is elected at any general election. The governor shall sign and affix the seal of the state to the certificates. The secretary of state shall deliver six copies of the certificate to …

(1) The election of any candidate to any office may be contested on any of the following grounds: (a) That the candidate elected is not eligible to hold the office for which elected; (b) That illegal votes were received or legal votes rejected at the polls in sufficient numbers t…

The election of any candidate or the results of an election on any ballot issue or ballot question may be contested by any eligible elector of the political subdivision. Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 786, § 14, effective January 1, 1993. L. 94: Entire section amended, p.…

(1) All election contests arising out of a primary election, except contests for national or state offices, shall be summarily adjudicated by the district court sitting for the political subdivision within which a contest arises. The court which first acquires jurisdiction of any…

(1) Except for petitions for rehearing pursuant to section 1-40-107, all election contests arising out of a ballot issue or ballot question election concerning the order on the ballot or the form or content of any ballot title shall be summarily adjudicated by the district court …

The supreme court of this state has original jurisdiction for the adjudication of contests concerning presidential electors and shall prescribe rules for practice and proceedings for such contests. No justice of the court who is a contestor in the election contest shall be permit…

(1) Proceedings to contest the election of any person declared elected governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, member of the state board of education, or regent of the university of Colorado may be commenced by filing with the secreta…

On the hearing of any election contest for any of the offices named in section 1-11-205, the parties to the contest may introduce written testimony, taken in a manner prescribed by the joint session. No depositions shall be read in the hearing unless the opposite party had reason…

(1) In conducting any election contest for any of the offices named in section 1-11-205, the following rules apply: (a) On the appointed day and hour, the general assembly, with its proper officers, shall convene in joint session. (b) The president of the senate shall preside; bu…

(1) The election of any person as a state senator or a member of the state house of representatives may be contested by any eligible elector of the district to be represented by the senator or representative. Each house of the general assembly shall hear and determine election co…

(1) The house of the general assembly in which any contest for senator or representative, as applicable, is to be tried shall certify questions to the office of administrative courts for referral to an administrative law judge. The questions shall relate exclusively to the electi…

(1) Either party, at the time the statement or answer is served, may serve upon the adverse party reasonable notice of taking depositions to be used at trial of the contest for state senator or state representative. Immediately after joining issue of fact, both parties shall proc…

The secretary of state shall deliver the sealed envelope containing depositions, notices, and proofs of service, together with the statement of contestor, answer of contestee, and reply, to the presiding officer of the body in which the contest for senator or representative is to…

The district court of the judicial district in which the contest for the office of district attorney arises has jurisdiction for the adjudication of contests for the office of district attorney. No district judge who is a contestor in any election contest shall be permitted to he…

Contested election cases of county and nonpartisan officers and ballot issues and ballot questions shall be tried and decided by the district court for the county in which the contest arises. If a political subdivision is located in more than one county, the district court of eit…

Except as otherwise provided in this part 2, the result of an election on a ballot issue seeking approval to create any debt or other financial obligation may be contested based on the grounds set forth in section 1-11-201 (4) in the manner provided by this part 2 for contesting …

(1) The style and form of process, the manner of service of process and papers, the fees of officers, and judgment for costs and execution shall be according to the rules and practice of the district court. (2) Change of venue may be taken from any district court for any cause in…

(1) Immediately after the issue is joined, the district judge shall set the date for trial, which shall be not more than twenty days nor less than ten days after the issue was joined. The trial shall take precedence over all other business of the court. Any depositions to be used…

If, at trial of any election contest as provided in section 1-11-214 and this section, the statement or counterstatement alleges an error in the abstract of votes cast sufficient to change the result, the district judge has the power to order a recount of the ballots cast or the …

The district court shall pronounce judgment on whether the contestee or any other person was legally elected to the contested office or on whether the ballot issue or ballot question was enacted. The court's judgment declaring a person elected entitles that person to take office …

The district court shall pronounce judgment on whether the approval of a ballot issue to create any debt or other financial obligation should be set aside based on the grounds set forth in section 1-11-201 (4). Source: L. 2003: Entire section added, p. 749, § 3, effective August …

(1) A judgment against the contestor pursuant to the provisions of sections 1-11-211 and 1-11-212, concerning election of a candidate or determination of a ballot question, shall provide that the contestor is liable for all fees incurred in the contested election by all contestee…

(1) If the results of any county or nonpartisan election are disallowed as the result of a proceeding held pursuant to sections 1-11-211 and 1-11-212, the elector who instituted the proceedings may commence a civil action to recover costs and reasonable attorney fees from the gov…

(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (a) Section 10 of article V of the Colorado constitution provides that each house of the general assembly shall judge the election and qualification of its members; (b) Section 11 of article VII of the Colorado constitution…

(1) The state senate or the state house of representatives, acting by resolution, may call a special legislative election for a state senate or house of representatives district following any general election pursuant to this part 3 if: (a) The election of any person as a member …

(1) Within three days after receipt of a resolution calling for a special legislative election pursuant to section 1-11-302, the secretary of state shall make and deliver or transmit to the county clerk and recorder of each county in which the district for the contested state sen…

Within three days after receipt of the secretary of state's notice pursuant to section 1-11-303, the county clerk and recorder or coordinated election official shall set a date for the special legislative election that is not less than forty-five days nor more than sixty days fro…

The county clerk and recorder shall give notice of the special legislative election pursuant to section 1-5-205. Source: L. 99: Entire part added, p. 1388, § 4, effective June 4. L. 2016: Entire section amended, (SB 16-142), ch. 173, p. 587, § 64, effective May 18.

A candidate on the ballot at the special legislative election may withdraw his or her candidacy at any time after the notice of special legislative election given under section 1-11-305. The special legislative election shall be called and held notwithstanding such withdrawal; ex…

The special legislative election shall be conducted according to the provisions of articles 1 to 13 of this title. Source: L. 99: Entire part added, p. 1388, § 4, effective June 4.

(1) The board of canvassers for a special legislative election shall be organized as provided in section 1-10-101. (2) The county clerk and recorder shall contact the secretary of state on election night with the unofficial count. (3) The board of canvassers for a special legisla…

Special legislative elections conducted in accordance with this part 3 are subject to the appropriate sections of article 45 of this title. Source: L. 99: Entire part added, p. 1389, § 4, effective June 4.

As used in this part 1, and for purposes of article XXI of the state constitution, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Approved as to form" means that the appropriate designated election official has reviewed the blank form of a petition and has approved the form as meeti…

Every elected officer of this state or any political subdivision thereof is subject to recall from office at any time by the eligible electors entitled to vote for a successor to the incumbent. The recall of any state officer shall be governed by the recall of state officers proc…

(1) No recall petition may be circulated or filed against any elected officer until the officer has actually held office for at least six months following the last election, or six months following the assumption of office by an appointed official; except that a recall petition m…

Eligible electors of the state or a political subdivision may initiate the recall of an elected official by signing a petition that demands the election of a successor to the officer named in the petition. The petition must contain a general statement, consisting of two hundred w…

(1) A petition to recall a state or county officer shall be signed by eligible electors equal in number to twenty-five percent of the entire vote cast at the last preceding general election for all candidates for the office which the incumbent sought to be recalled occupies. (2) …

A petition to recall a school district officer shall be signed by eligible electors of the school district equal in number to at least forty percent of the entire vote cast at the last preceding election for all candidates for the school district director position occupied by the…

(1) For state recall elections, the petition shall be filed with the secretary of state who shall review and approve as to form the petition for recall as provided in section 1-12-108 (4), certify the sufficiency of the petition, and notify the governor, who shall set the date fo…

(1) The petition shall be prepared and circulated pursuant to this part 1. (1.5) No signature shall be counted that was placed on a petition prior to approval as to form of the petition by the designated election official pursuant to subsection (4) of this section or more than si…

If an officer whose recall is sought offers a resignation, it shall be accepted and the vacancy caused by the resignation shall be filled as provided by law. The person appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation shall hold the office only until the person elected at …

(1) If the officer whose recall is sought does not resign within five days after the sufficiency of the recall petition has been certified by the designated election official and the time for protest has passed, the designated election official shall call the election and set the…

(1) If the recall petition is held to be sufficient under section 1-12-108 (8)(c) and after the time for protest has passed and any such protest has been fully adjudicated, the designated election official shall wait five days to see if the incumbent resigns. If five days have pa…

(1) For a recall election of a state officer, the governor and the secretary of state shall publish notice of the recall election on their websites. (2) For a recall election for an officer other than a state officer, the designated election official shall publish notice of the r…

(1) In addition to all other requirements of law, the official ballot must contain the statement described in section 1-12-103 stating the grounds for demanding the officer's recall. The officer sought to be recalled may submit to the designated election official a statement of t…

(1) Except as modified by this article, the recall election and election of a successor shall be conducted according to articles 1 to 13 of this title. (2) Except as otherwise provided in this part 1, for a recall election, all events in the uniform election code that are to be c…