TrustVoting Atlas

(1) Candidates for political
party nominations to be made by primary election may be placed on the primary election ballot
by petition. Every petition to nominate candidates for a primary election shall state the name of
the office for which the person is a candidate and the candidate's name and address and shall
designate in not more than three words the name of the political party which the candidate
represents. No petition shall contain the name of more than one person for the same office.
(2) The signature requirements for the petition are as follows:
(a) Every petition in the case of a candidate for any county office must be signed by
electors eligible to vote within the county commissioner district or political subdivision for
which the officer is to be elected. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(e) of this
section, the petition requires the lesser of one thousand signers or signers equal in number to ten
percent of the votes cast in the political subdivision at the contested or uncontested primary
election for the political party's candidate for the office for which the petition is being circulated
or, if there was no primary election, at the last preceding general election for which there was a
candidate for the office. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an unaffiliated elector is
not eligible to sign a petition for a candidate of a major political party.
(a.5) Every petition in the case of a candidate for a member of the United States house of
representatives, member of the state board of education for a congressional district, or member
of the board of regents of the university of Colorado for a congressional district must be signed
by eligible electors resident within the district for which the officer is to be elected. The petition
requires the lesser of one thousand five hundred signers or signers equal in number to ten percent
of the votes cast in the district at the contested or uncontested primary election for the political
party's candidate for the office for which the petition is being circulated or, if there was no
primary election, at the last preceding general election for which there was a candidate for the
office.
(b) Every petition in the case of a candidate for member of the general assembly or any
district office greater than a county office must be signed by eligible electors resident within the
district for which the officer is to be elected. The petition requires the lesser of one thousand
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signers or signers equal to thirty percent of the votes cast in the district at the contested or
uncontested primary election for the political party's candidate for the office for which the
petition is being circulated or, if there was no primary election, at the last preceding general
election for which there was a candidate for the office.
(b.5) Every petition in the case of a candidate for the office of district attorney must be
signed by eligible electors resident within the district for which the officer is to be elected. The
petition requires the lesser of one thousand signers or signers equal in number to ten percent of
the votes cast in the district at the contested or uncontested primary election for the political
party's candidate for the office for which the petition is being circulated or, if there was no
primary election, at the last preceding general election for which there was a candidate for the
office.
(c) (I) Repealed.
(II) Every petition in the case of a candidate for the office of governor or the office of
United States senator must be signed by at least one thousand five hundred eligible electors in
each congressional district.
(c.5) Every petition in the case of a candidate for the office of secretary of state, attorney
general, or state treasurer must be signed by at least one thousand eligible electors in each
congressional district.
(c.7) Every petition in the case of a candidate for the office of an at-large seat on either
the state board of education or the board of regents of the university of Colorado must be signed
by at least five hundred eligible electors in each congressional district.
(d) (Deleted by amendment, L. 93, p. 1405, § 29, effective July 1, 1993.)
(e) Where the electors of the county have voted to increase the membership of the board
of county commissioners from three to five pursuant to section 30-10-306.5, C.R.S., or to
decrease the membership of the board from five to three pursuant to section 30-10-306.7, C.R.S.,
for the next two primary elections immediately following an election at which the voters have
approved the change in the membership of the board, the signature requirements for the petition
are as follows:
(I) Where any one or more commissioners to be elected to the board of county
commissioners will be voted on by voters of the whole county, every petition must require
signers equal in number to twenty percent of the average of all votes cast in each commissioner
district in the county during the prior two contested or uncontested primary elections for the
political party's candidates in each county commissioner district that held a primary election in
either of those elections. If no primary election was held in either year, the calculation must be
based on the most recent preceding general election for which the party had a candidate on the
ballot, and every petition must require signers equal in number to twenty percent of the average
of all votes cast for the political party's candidates for commissioner in each commissioner
district in which the party had a candidate on the ballot.
(II) Where any one or more commissioners to be elected to the board of county
commissioners will be voted on only by the electors residing in a particular county
commissioner district, the determination of the required number of signers must begin with a
calculation of the average of all votes cast in each commissioner district in the county during the
prior two contested or uncontested primary elections for the political party's candidates in the
county commissioner districts that held a primary election in either of those elections. Upon a
determination of the average, that number must then be divided by the total number of
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commissioner districts in the county where commissioners are voted on only by the electors
residing in the district, whether three or five. After completing this calculation, every petition
must require signers equal in number to twenty percent of the number realized. If no primary
election was held in either year, the calculation must be based on the most recent preceding
general election for which the party had a candidate on the ballot, and every petition must
require signers equal in number to the following calculation:
(A) Twenty percent of the average of all votes cast for the political party's candidates for
commissioner in each commissioner district in which the party had a candidate on the ballot; and
(B) Divide the number found in sub-subparagraph (A) of this subparagraph (II) by the
total number of commissioner districts in the county where commissioners are voted on only by
the electors residing in the district, whether three or five.
(f) Following the first two primary elections that are conducted after a change in the
membership of the board of county commissioners pursuant to section 30-10-306.5 or 30-10306.7, C.R.S., in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (e) of this subsection (2), the
signature requirements for a petition for a county commissioner candidate who is affiliated with
a major political party must follow the procedures specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection
(2).
(3) No person shall be placed in nomination by petition on behalf of any political party
unless the person was affiliated with the political party, as shown in the statewide voter
registration system, no later than the first business day of the January immediately preceding the
election for which the person desires to be placed in nomination.
(4) No person who attempted and failed to receive at least ten percent of the votes for the
nomination of a political party assembly for a particular office shall be placed in nomination by
petition on behalf of the political party for the same office.
(5) (a) Party petitions shall not be circulated nor any signatures be obtained prior to the
first business day in January. Petitions must be filed no later than the close of business on the
third Tuesday in March, or on the seventy-fifth day after the first business day in January,
whichever is later.
(b) Repealed.
(6) A candidate for a presidential primary election shall not begin circulating petitions
before the first Monday in November of the year preceding the year in which the presidential
primary election is held. A candidate must file a petition no later than the close of business on
the eighty-fifth day before the date of the presidential primary election.
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(2)(b), (2)(c)(II), and (6) amended and (2)(a.5), (2)(b.5), (2)(c.5), and (2)(c.7) added, (HB 191278), ch. 326, p. 3011, § 18, effective August 2. L. 2020: (5) amended, (HB 20-1359), ch. 23,
p. 85, § 6, effective March 16. L. 2021: (5)(a) and (6) amended, (SB 21-250), ch. 282, p. 1640, §
17, effective June 21. L. 2024: (5)(a) amended, (HB 24-1067), ch. 51, p. 180, § 3, effective
August 7.
January 1, 1999. (See L. 98, p. 634.)
(3) This section was amended by initiative in 2016. The vote count on Proposition 107 at
the general election held November 8, 2016, was as follows:
FOR: 1,701,599
AGAINST: 953,246
(4) Subsection (5)(b)(II) provided for the repeal of subsection (5)(b), effective December
31, 2020. (See L. 2020, p. 85.)