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1-4-1005. Vacancies in major party nomination occurring from the day after primary election day through the earliest day to mail general election ballots.

Overview of Statute

 

Statute

(1) For the purposes of this section, a vacancy is caused by the declination, death, disqualification, or withdrawal of the person nominated at the primary election.
(2) A vacancy in a party nomination occurring from the day after the primary election through the earliest day to mail general election ballots may be filled by the respective party assembly vacancy committee of the district, county, or state, depending upon the office for which the vacancy in nomination has occurred. The party assembly vacancy committee must be appointed by the party in accordance with party rules.
(3)(a) No vacancy committee called to fill a vacancy pursuant to this section may select a person to fill a vacancy at a meeting held for that purpose unless a written notice announcing the time and location of the vacancy committee meeting was mailed to each of the committee members within five calendar days of the chairperson of the central committee learning of the vacancy. Mailing of the notice is effective when the notice is properly addressed and deposited in the United States mail, with first-class postage prepaid. In addition to the mailing, the chairperson of the central committee may also contact committee members by electronic mail.

(b) 

(I)  No vacancy committee meeting shall be held until a quorum is present consisting of not less than one-half of the voting membership of the vacancy committee.
(II)  The vacancy committee, by a majority vote of its members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose, shall select a person who meets all of the requirements of candidacy as of the date of the primary election and who is affiliated with the same political party or minor political party, if any, shown in the statewide voter registration database as the candidate whose declination, death, disqualification, or withdrawal caused the vacancy.
(III)  No member of the vacancy committee may vote by proxy.
(IV)  If the vacancy committee fails to timely certify a selection, the statechair of the party of the candidate whose declination, death, disqualification, or withdrawal caused the vacancy, within seven days, shall fill the vacancy by appointing a person who meets all of the requirements of candidacy as of the date of the appointment and who is affiliated with the same political party shown in the statewide voter registration system as the candidate whose declination, death, disqualification, or withdrawal caused the vacancy. The name of the person appointed by the state chair must be certified to the secretary of state. The vacancy is filled until the next general election after the vacancy occurs, when the vacancy is filled by election.
(c)
(I) The designation and acceptance of the person selected to fill the vacancy must be submitted to the designated election official no later than three days from either the date of the vacancy committee meeting or from the date of appointment by the state chair pursuant to subsection (3)(b)(IV) of this section, as applicable; except that such certification must in all cases be submitted no later than the sixty-fourth day before the date of the general election.
(II) For purposes of this section, a vacancy is filled when the designated election official receives the certificate of nomination and the written acceptance of the replacement candidate.
(d) No person is eligible for appointment to fill a vacancy in a party designation unless that person meets all requirements of candidacy as of the date that the vacancy appointment is made.
(e) If a person designated to fill a vacancy pursuant to this section decides not to fill a vacancy, he or she shall in like manner file a certificate setting forth the occurrence of the vacancy, stating they do not intend to fill the vacancy.
(4)  (a) When a vacancy in a party nomination is filled pursuant to this section prior to the ballots being printed, the designated election official shall cause the name of the replacement candidate to be printed on the ballot.
(b) When a vacancy in a party nomination is filled pursuant to this section subsequent to the ballots being printed:
(I)  The designated election official shall:
(A) Prominently post, on the designated election official’s official website and in each voter service and polling center, a notice regarding the vacancy and the name of the replacement candidate; and
(B) Either cause to be printed and placed on the sample ballot delivered to the election judges and posted pursuant to section 1-5-413 a sticker of a different color than the sample ballot indicating the name of the replacement candidate or reprint the sample ballot with the name of the replacement candidate in a different color; and
(II) Votes cast for the candidate who vacated the nomination must be counted as votes for the replacement candidate.
(5) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, if a political party has established a rule regarding the length of affiliation required for a candidate and a vacancy in that office occurs, then the party rule applies.
L. 2017: Entire part amended with relocated provisions, (SB 17-209), ch. 234, p. 957, § 5, effective August 9.L. 2019: (3)(c)(I) amended, (HB 19-1278), ch. 326, p. 3019, § 25, effective August 2.
Definition [United States]

Used in the territorial sense, means the several states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.

Definition [Political party]

Any group of registered electors who, by petition or assembly, nominate candidates for the official general election ballot. “Political party” includes affiliated party organizations at the state, county, and election district levels, and all such affiliates are considered to be a single entity for the purposes of this article, except as otherwise provided in section 7. Section 2(13) of article XXVIII of the state constitution.

Definition [Designated election official]

The secretary of state, a county clerk and recorder, or other election official as provided by article XXI of the state constitution. C.R.S. § 1-12-100.5.

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 [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 [Person]

Any natural person, partnership, committee, association, corporation, labor organization, political party, or other organization or group of persons. Section 2(11) of article XXVIII of the state constitution.

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 [Secretary]

The Colorado secretary of state. C.R.S. § 1-1.5-102.

Definition [Committee]

The committee of signers described in section 1-12-108(2). C.R.S. § 1-12-100.5.

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.