Topics
Code Section
Tool bar
Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Certificates of Election And Election Contests

1-11-217. Costs of election contest

Overview of Statute

The contestor will be liable for all fees incurred by contestees, including reasonable costs and attorney fees, for unsuccessful contests involving the election of a candidate or determination of any ballot question (provided in C.R.S. § 1-11-211 and C.R.S. § 1-11-212). In contests involving any ballot issues, the contestor will only be liable for fees upon a determination by the court that the case is frivolous.

Statute

(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 contestees, including reasonable costs and attorney fees.

(2) A judgment against the contestor pursuant to the provisions of sections 1-11-211 and 1-11-212, concerning the determination of a ballot issue, or pursuant tosection 1-11-212.5, concerning the determination of a ballot issue that includes approval of the creation of any debt or other financial obligation, shall provide that the contestor is liable for all fees incurred in the contested election by all contestees, including reasonable costs and attorneys fees, but a judgment for costs and fees shall be awarded in favor of the state or a political subdivision only if the suit is ruled frivolous, as provided in article 17 of title 13, C.R.S.

 

 

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 793, § 14, effective January 1, 1993.L. 94: Entire section amended, p. 1178, § 69, effective July 1.L. 2003: (2) amended, p. 750, § 4, effective August 6.

Definition [Ballot issue]

A nonrecall,  citizen-initiated  petition  or legislatively-referred
measure which is authorized by the state constitution, including a question as defined in  sections 1-41-102 (3) and 1-41-103 (3), enacted in Senate Bill 93-98.

Definition [Political subdivision]

A governing subdivision of the state, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Definition [State]

A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.

Definition [Title]

A brief statement that fairly and accurately represents the true intent and meaning of the proposed text of the initiative.

Definition [Ballot]

(a) A federal write-in absentee ballot;

(b) A ballot specifically prepared or distributed for use by a covered voter in accordance with this article; or

(c) A ballot cast by a covered voter in accordance with this article.

(2) “Covered voter” means:

(a) A uniformed-service voter defined in paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of this section who is a resident of this state but who is absent from this state by reason of active duty and who otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

(b) An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, was last eligible to vote in this state and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

(c) An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, would have been last eligible to vote in this state had the voter then been of voting age and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements; or

(d) An overseas voter who was born outside the United States, is not described in paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection (2), and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements if the last place where a parent, legal guardian, spouse, or civil union partner of the voter was, or under this article would have been, eligible to vote before leaving the United States is within this state.

C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.

Definition [Section]

A bound compilation of initiative forms approved by the secretary of state, which shall include pages that contain the warning required by section 1-40-110 (1), the ballot title, the abstract required by section 1-40-110 (3), and a copy of the proposed measure; succeeding pages that contain the warning, the ballot title, and ruled lines numbered consecutively for registered electors’ signatures; and a final page that contains the affidavit required by section 1-40-111 (2). Each section shall be consecutively prenumbered by the petitioner prior to circulation.

Definition [Election]

Any election under the “Uniform Election Code of 1992” or the “Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965”, article 10 of title 31, C.R.S. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Definition [Candidate]

Any person who seeks nomination or election to any state or local public office that is to be voted on in this state at any primary election, general election, school district election, special district election, or municipal election. “Candidate” also includes a judge or justice of any court of record who seeks to be retained in office pursuant to the provisions of section 25 of article VI. A person is a candidate for election if the person has publicly announced an intention to seek election to public office or retention of a judicial office and thereafter has received a contribution or made an expenditure in support of the candidacy. A person remains a candidate for purposes of this article so long as the candidate maintains a registered candidate committee. A person who maintains a candidate committee after an election cycle, but who has not publicly announced an intention to seek election to public office in the next or any subsequent election cycle, is a candidate for purposes of this article. Section 2(2) of article XXVIII of the state constitution.