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Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Conduct of Elections

1-7-801. Ballots preserved

Overview of Statute

A designated election official will remove ballots from the ballot box after the completion of voting and preserve the ballots as election records.[1]

[1] C.R.S. § 1-7-802 provides the guidelines for preserving the ballots as election records.

Statute

The designated election official shall remove the ballots from the ballot box after the time period for election contests has passed and preserve the ballots as election records pursuant to section 1-7-802.

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 751, § 9, effective January 1, 1993.L. 93: Entire section R&RE, p. 1422, § 80, effective July 1.

Editor’s note: Articles 1 to 13 were numbered as articles 1, 3, 4, 9 to 19, and 21 of chapter 49, C.R.S. 1963. The substantive provisions of these articles were repealed and reenacted in 1980, resulting in the addition, relocation, and elimination of sections as well as subject matter. For amendments to these articles prior to 1980, consult the Colorado statutory research explanatory note and the table itemizing the replacement volumes and supplements to the original volume of C.R.S. 1973 beginning on page vii in the front of this volume. Former C.R.S. numbers prior to 1980 are shown in editor’s notes following those sections that were relocated. For a detailed comparison of these articles for 1980, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.

Cross references: For school elections, see articles 30, 31, and 42 of title 22; for elections for removal of county seats, see article 8 of title 30; for municipal elections, see article 10 of title 31; for special district elections, see part 8 of article 1 of title 32; for exemption of certain statutory proceedings from the rules of civil procedure, see C.R.C.P. 81; for recall from office, see article XXI of the state constitution; for recall of state and county officers, see part 1 of article 12 of this title; for recall of municipal officers, see part 5 of article 4 of title 31; for recall of directors of special districts, see § § 32-1-906, 32-1-907.

Editor’s note: Articles 1 to 13 were repealed and reenacted in 1980, and this article was subsequently repealed and reenacted in 1992, resulting in the addition, relocation, and elimination of sections as well as subject matter. For amendments to this article prior to 1992, consult the Colorado statutory research explanatory note and the table itemizing the replacement volumes and supplements to the original volume of C.R.S. 1973 beginning on page vii in the front of this volume and the editor’s note following the title heading. Former C.R.S. section numbers are shown in editor’s notes following those sections that were relocated in 1992. For a detailed comparison of this article for 1980 and 1992, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.

Cross references: For election offenses relating to conduct of elections, see part 7 of article 13 of this title.

Editor’s note: This section is similar to former § 1-7-701 as it existed prior to 1992.
 
ANNOTATIONS

Annotator’s note. The following annotations include a case decided under former provisions similar to this section.

Holding that fraud must be shown to require ballot box opening. Where the court, in a contested election case in which fraud was alleged, refused to require the opening of the ballot boxes and a recounting of the ballots until some evidence of the fraud alleged was introduced, its discretion was, under the circumstances, commendably exercised. Kindel v. Le Bert, 23 Colo. 385, 48 P. 641 (1897).

Holding that a court may decline ruling when ballots are destroyed. When, pending an appeal in the matter of a contested election, an event occurs, such as the destruction of the ballots cast at the election, which under the circumstances of the case, renders any ruling which might be made ineffectual, the court may decline to pass upon any of the controverted questions. Kindel v. Le Bert, 23 Colo. 385, 48 P. 641 (1897).

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 [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.

Cases

Colorado Cases

Case Name: Kindel v. Le Bert

Citation: 48 P. 641 (Colo. 1897)

Year: 1897

Case PDF: Kindel v. Le Bert

Case Summary: Upholding a lower court's holding that declared the defendant as the winner in an election for the office of county clerk; plaintiff may not inspect ballot boxes upon a belief of fraudulent voting without more evidence establishing the presence of the alleged fraudulent behavior.

Out-of-State Cases

Federal Cases