Colorado Covid Legal Information
We drew these resources principally from Justin Levitt's list of COVID-19 election cases, Standford-MIT Healthy Elections Project COVID-Related Election Litigation Tracker, and the National Center for State Legislatures' COVID-19 and 2020 Primary Elections page.
Litigation Tracker
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Warren v. Griswold
Topics
Ballot Access; Signature Requirements
Status
Reversed 5/4
Date Filed
17/03/2020
Court
Colorado Supreme Court
Description
Court held that district court erred in finding that the Plaintiff complied with minimum signature requirements because of their good faith effort during the COVID-19 outbreak. The election code minimum signature mandate required strict compliance so a good faith effort is not enough.
Links
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Bray v. Griswold
Topics
Ballot Access; Signature Requirements
Status
Relief Denied 4/27/20
Date Filed
13/04/2020
Court
Colorado District Court, Denver County
Description
Challenge to in-person signature gathering requirements for candidates and initiatives to appear on the ballot, a request to permit online signature collection, among other requests.
Links
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Garcia v. Griswold
Topics
Ballot Access; Signature Requirements
Status
Temporary Restraining Order Denied 5/7/20, Preliminary Injunction Denied 7/15/20
Date Filed
06/05/2020
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
Description
Alleging strict compliance with election code candidate signature requirements violates First and Fourteenth Amendment rights due to COVID-19.
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Schneider v. Griswold
Topics
Ballot Access
Status
Decided 5/4
Date Filed
20/04/2020
Court
Colorado District Court, Denver County
Description
Challenge to validity of emergency party committee vote. Court held that candidate could not be on the ballot.
Links
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Ritchie v. Polis
Topics
Ballot Access; Signature Requirements
Status
Temporary Restraining Order Denied 5/27, Reversed 7/1
Date Filed
18/05/2020
Court
Colorado Supreme Court
Description
Challenge to suspension of petition signature collection requirements. Court held that initiative petitions must be signed in presence of a circulator.
Links
Executive Actions
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D 2020 005
Topics
Convention Rules; Political Parties
Date Filed
16/03/2020
Description
Colorado's Governor issued an executive order, incorporating a bill passed by the legislature, to allow political parties to amend their rules relating to conventions and assemblies in order to limit in-person contact.
Links
Legislative Actions
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CO HB 1359
Topics
Ballot Access; Candidate Petitions; Deadlines
Date Filed
12/03/2020
Description
Modifies party candidate designation requirements to accommodate public health concerns.