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Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Certificates of Election And Election Contests

1-11-302. Causes of special legislative election

Overview of Statute

The state senate and the state house of representatives may call a special legislative election in any general election when a contest arises disputing the election of an candidate to the respective state legislative body and either a committee on credentials, committee on reference, or an administrative law judge recommends a special legislative election. Following a resolution, the secretary of state must provide notice to each affected county’s county clerk and recorder in the district, and a ballot must be prepared that contains the same candidates listed on the original ballot except those who choose to withdraw from the election.

Statute

(1) The state senate or the state house of representatives, acting by resolution, may call a special legislative election for a state senate or house of representatives district following any general election pursuant to this part 3 if:

(a) The election of any person as a member of the state senate or the state house of representatives is contested pursuant to section 1-11-208; and


(b) A committee on credentials, a committee of reference, or an administrative law judge pursuant to section 1-11-208.5 recommends a special legislative election.

(2) Such resolution shall direct the secretary of state to give notice to the county clerk and recorder of each county in which such district is located to call a special legislative election for the entire district pursuant to section 1-11-303. Such resolution shall further specify that the candidates at such election shall, subject to the withdrawal of a candidate pursuant to section 1-11-306, be the same as the candidates on the ballot in such district for the state senate or the state house of representatives seat at the preceding general election from which the election contest arises.

 

 

Source: L. 99: Entire part added, p. 1387, § 4, effective June 4. L. 2016: IP(1) amended, (SB 16-142), ch. 173, p. 587, § 63, effective May 18.

 

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.