1-7-116. Coordinated elections – definition
Overview of Statute
Unless otherwise specified by statute, the county clerk and recorder will serve as the coordinated election official for elections involving the same group of electors located in multiple political subdivisions and voting for the same multiple issues or offices. In these elections, prior to the election, the political subdivision and the relevant county clerk and recorder must form an agreement to decide the procedure for conducting the election at least seventy days prior to voting. These agreements must include an allocation of responsibility and reasonable sharing of costs between the two parties. In accordance with relevant provisions of this agreement, the county clerk and recorder will use the state’s mail ballot procedure to coordinate voting in these elections.
In conjunction, any political subdivision that begins formally participating in this type of election prior to one hundred days prior to an election must notify the county clerk and recorder in writing. However, a county clerk and recorder may still enter and perform an intergovernmental agreement to conduct the coordinated election on behalf of the political subdivision despite not receiving notice from the political subdivision.
Statute
(1) (a) If more than one political subdivision holds an election on the same day in November and the eligible electors for each such election are the same or the boundaries overlap, the county clerk and recorder is the coordinated election official and, pursuant to section 1-5-401, shall conduct the elections on behalf of all political subdivisions whose elections are part of the coordinated election, utilizing the mail ballot procedure set forth in article 7.5 of this title. As used in this subsection (1), “political subdivision” includes the state, counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts formed pursuant to title 32, C.R.S.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) does not apply to any political subdivision that conducts a mail ballot election or an independent mail ballot election, as defined in section 1-13.5-1102, using mail ballot procedures set forth in article 7.5 or 13.5 of this title or the “Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965”, article 10 of title 31, C.R.S., as appropriate. As used in this paragraph (b), “political subdivision” means a municipality as defined in section 31-1-101, C.R.S., or a special district as defined in section 1-13.5-103.
(c) A county clerk and recorder is not required to conduct any election using the procedures set forth in article 13.5 of this title.
(2) The political subdivisions for which the county clerk and recorder will conduct the coordinated election shall enter into an agreement with the county clerk and recorder for the county or counties in which the political subdivision is located concerning the conduct of the coordinated election. The agreement shall be signed no later than seventy days prior to the scheduled election. The agreement shall include but not be limited to the following:
(a) Allocation of the responsibilities between the county clerk and recorder and the political subdivisions for the preparation and conduct of the coordinated election; and
(b) Provision for a reasonable sharing of the actual cost of the coordinated election among the county and the political subdivisions. For such purpose, political subdivisions are not responsible for sharing any portion of the usual costs of maintaining the office of the county clerk and recorder, including but not limited to overhead costs and personal services costs of permanent employees, except for such costs that are shown to be directly attributable to conducting coordinated elections on behalf of political subdivisions. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the state’s share of the actual costs of the coordinated election shall be governed by the provisions of section 1-5-505.5. Where the state’s reimbursement to a particular county for the costs of conducting a coordinated election pursuant to section 1-5-505.5 is less than the costs of conducting a coordinated election for which the county is entitled to reimbursement by means of a cost-sharing agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (2), such differential shall be assumed by the county. Where the state’s reimbursement to a particular county for the costs of conducting a coordinated election pursuant to section 1-5-505.5 is greater than the costs of conducting a coordinated election for which the county is entitled to reimbursement by means of a cost-sharing agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (2), the county shall be entitled to retain such differential, with no obligation to return any portion of such amount to the state.
(2.5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the scientific and cultural facilities district’s share of the actual costs of the coordinated election shall be governed by the provisions of section 32-13-107 (5), C.R.S.
(3) Notwithstanding the provision for independent mail ballot elections in subsection (1) of this section, the ballot issue notice shall be prepared and mailed in substantial compliance with part 9 of this article 7, and the preparation and mailing thereof shall be made pursuant to an agreement as provided in subsection (2) of this section. An agreement under this subsection (3) may allow the political subdivision to prepare and mail a separate notice.
(4) (Deleted by amendment, L. 94, p. 1163, § 36, effective July 1, 1994.)
(5) If, by one hundred days before the election, a political subdivision has taken formal action to participate in an election that will be coordinated by the county clerk and recorder, the political subdivision shall notify the county clerk and recorder in writing. Failure to receive such notice in a timely manner does not prohibit the county clerk and recorder from entering into and performing an intergovernmental agreement to conduct the coordinated election on behalf of the political subdivision.
Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 737, § 9, effective January 1, 1993.L. 93: Entire section amended, p. 1419, § 71, effective July 1.L. 94: (1), (2)(b), and (4) amended, p. 1163, § 36, effective July 1.L. 96: (3) amended, p. 1746, § 42, effective July 1. L. 99: IP(2) amended and (5) added, p. 774, § 50, effective May 20.L. 2000: (2)(b) amended, p. 656, § 3, effective August 2.L. 2001: (5) amended, p. 1003, § 9, effective August 8.L. 2005: IP(2) amended, p. 1404, § 26, effective June 6; IP(2) amended, p. 1439, § 26, effective June 6.L. 2006: (2.5) added, p. 1779, § 1, effective June 6.L. 2013: (1) amended, (HB 13-1303), ch. 185, p. 720, § 65, effective May 10.L. 2014: (1) and (5) amended, (HB 14-1164), ch. 2, p. 4, § 3, effective February 18. L. 2019: (3) amended, (HB 19-1278), ch. 326, p. 3028, § 37, effective August 2.
Cross references: (1) In 2013, this section was amended by the “Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act”. For the short title and the legislative declaration, see sections 1 and 2 of chapter 185, Session Laws of Colorado 2013. (2) For the legislative declaration in HB 14-1164, see section 1 of chapter 2, Session Laws of Colorado 2014.
- Cross-References:
- Election Day
- Regulations & Duties of Election Officials
1. Definition for 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.
2. Definition for Mail ballot election
An election for which eligible electors receive ballots by mail and vote by mailing those ballots, depositing the ballots at, as applicable, drop-off locations or voter service and polling centers, or, as applicable, by voting at a voter service and polling center. The term does not include an independent mail ballot election. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.
3. Definition for Political subdivision
A governing subdivision of the state, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.
4. Definition for Independent mail ballot election
A mail ballot election that the governing body of a political subdivision, other than a school district, determines shall not be coordinated by the county clerk and recorder. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.
5. Definition for 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.
6. Definition for Title
A brief statement that fairly and accurately represents the true intent and meaning of the proposed text of the initiative.
7. Definition for 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.
8. Definition for 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.
9. Definition for 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.
10. Definition for 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.