§ 1-4-909 — Protest of designations and nominations

Colorado § 1-4-909

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 01: Elections
• Art.: Elections - Access to Ballot by Candidates

Text

(1) A petition or
certificate of designation or nomination that has been verified and appears to be
sufficient under this code shall be deemed valid unless a petition for a review of the
validity of the petition pursuant to section 1-1-113 is filed with the district court
within five days after the election official's statement of sufficiency is issued or, in
the case of a certificate of designation, within five days after the certificate of
designation is filed with the designated election official.

(1.5) If the election official determines that a petition is insufficient, the
candidate named in the petition may petition the district court within five days for a
review of the determination pursuant to section 1-1-113.

(1.7) (a) If a candidate submits a petition to the secretary of state at least
fourteen days prior to the deadline to submit the petition and the secretary of state
determines that the petition is insufficient, then the petition is insufficient unless
the candidate files a protest in writing under oath in the office of the secretary of
state within seven days after the secretary of state determined the petition was
insufficient.

(b) In the protest, the candidate must identify with particularity the signature
lines that the candidate believes the secretary of state should have accepted but
that the secretary of state rejected. A candidate may not include in the protest
signature lines that the secretary of state rejected solely for a signature
discrepancy under section 1-4-908 (1.5) that the candidate did not cure.

(c) After a candidate files a protest, the secretary of state may convene a
hearing, which must be held before the secretary of state or a designee of the
secretary of state is appointed as the hearing officer. The secretary of state shall
provide notice of the date and time of the hearing to the candidate by email or mail
no later than five days prior to the hearing. The testimony in every hearing must be
under oath. The hearing must be summary and not subject to delay.

(d) The candidate filing a protest has the burden of sustaining the protest by
a preponderance of the evidence. In determining whether any signature line should
be accepted or rejected, the secretary of state may consider whether the signature
on the petition matches the signature of the eligible elector identified by the
candidate and whether the signer otherwise substantially complied with the
requirements of this section when signing the petition. The secretary of state shall
decide the protest no later than seven days before the deadline to certify ballot
content pursuant to section 1-5-203 (1) for candidates to be placed on the primary
election ballot and no later than fourteen days before the deadline to certify ballot
content pursuant to section 1-5-203 (1) for any other candidate in any other
election.

(e) The decision upon matters of substance is open to review, if application is
made within five days, in the manner provided in section 1-1-113, to the district court.
The remedy in all cases must be summary, and the decision of any court having
jurisdiction is final and not subject to review by any other court; except that the
supreme court, in the exercise of its discretion, may review any judicial proceeding
as provided in section 1-1-113.

(2) This section does not apply to any nomination made at a primary election.

Legislative History

Source: L. 92: Entire part R&RE, p. 690, � 7, effective January 1, 1993. L. 93: (1) amended, p. 1407, � 35, effective July 1. L. 95: (1) amended, p. 833, � 37, effective July 1. L. 2001: (1) amended, p. 1002, � 6, effective August 8. L. 2007: (1) amended and (1.5) added, p. 1971, � 10, effective August 3. L. 2023: (1.7) added, (SB 23-276), ch. 399, p. 2378, � 13, effective June 6.