TrustVoting Atlas

(1) (a) (I) Subject to the requirements
of section 3 (3)(e) of article XXVIII of the state constitution, unexpended campaign
contributions to a candidate committee may be:
(A) Contributed to a political party;
Colorado Revised Statutes 2024
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(B) Contributed to a candidate committee established by the same candidate for a
different public office, subject to the limitations set forth in section 3 of article XXVIII of the
state constitution, if the candidate committee making such a contribution is affirmatively closed
by the candidate no later than ten days after the date such a contribution is made;
(C) Donated to a charitable organization recognized by the internal revenue service;
(D) Returned to the contributors, or retained by the committee for use by the candidate
in a subsequent campaign.
(II) Except as authorized by section 1-45-103.7 (6.5) and subsection (1)(b)(VI) of this
section, in no event shall contributions to a candidate committee be used for personal purposes
not reasonably related to supporting the election of the candidate.
(III) A candidate committee for a former officeholder or a person not elected to office
shall expend all of the unexpended campaign contributions retained by such candidate
committee, for the purposes specified in this subsection (1), no later than one year from the date
such officeholder's term expired or from the date of the election at which such person was a
candidate for office, whichever is later.
(b) In addition to any use described in subsection (1)(a) of this section, a person elected
to a public office may use unexpended campaign contributions held by the person's candidate
committee for any of the following purposes:
(I) Voter registration;
(II) Political issue education, which includes obtaining information from or providing
information to the electorate;
(III) Postsecondary educational scholarships;
(IV) To defray reasonable and necessary expenses related to mailings and similar
communications to constituents;
(V) Any expenses that are directly related to such person's official duties as an elected
official, including, but not limited to, expenses for the purchase or lease of office equipment and
supplies, room rental for public meetings, necessary travel and lodging expenses for legislative
education such as seminars, conferences, and meetings on legislative issues, and telephone and
pager expenses;
(VI) For purposes specified in section 1-45-103.7 (6.5), in connection with the person's
official duties as an elected official.
(2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 123, § 4, effective March 15, 2000.)
(3) Unexpended contributions to an issue committee may be donated to any charitable
organization recognized by the internal revenue service or returned to the contributor.
(4) This section shall apply to unexpended campaign contributions transferred from a
political committee formed prior to January 15, 1997, to a candidate committee registering after
January 15, 1997, pursuant to section 1-45-108.
(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any unexpended campaign contributions
retained by a candidate committee for use in a subsequent election cycle shall be counted and
reported as contributions from a political party in any subsequent election in accordance with the
requirements of section 3 (3)(e) of article XXVIII of the state constitution.
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§ 2, effective June 3. L. 2010: (1)(a)(I)(B) amended, (SB 10-041), ch. 151, p. 522, § 1, effective
July 1. L. 2019: (1)(a)(II) amended, (SB 19-229), ch. 354, p. 3260, § 2, effective September 1.
L. 2023: (1)(a)(II), (1)(a)(III), and IP(1)(b) amended and (1)(b)(VI) added, (SB 23-276), ch. 399,
p. 2395, § 48, effective June 6.