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Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Notice Of And Preparation For Elections

1-5-411. Substitute ballots

Overview of Statute

If ballots are not delivered to election judges in the time and manner required by C.R.S. § 1-5-410, or if after delivery they are stolen or destroyed, the designated election official must prepare alternative ballots, as nearly in the prescribed form as practicable, with the words “substitute ballot” printed on each ballot. Such ballots are to be delivered to the election judges along with a sworn statement that the designated election official prepared and furnished the substitute ballots and the cause of the missing original ballots. If the substitute ballots are not available on time for the election, or if the supply of ballots is exhausted before the polls close, unofficial ballots closely resembling the original ballot can be used until substitutes prepared by the designated election official are printed and delivered.

Statute

If the ballots to be furnished to any election judges are not delivered at the time and in the manner required in section 1-5-410 or if after delivery they are destroyed or stolen, it shall be the duty of the designated election official to cause other ballots to be prepared, as nearly in the form prescribed as practicable, with the words “substitute ballot” printed on each ballot. Upon receipt of the ballots thus prepared from the designated election official, accompanied by a statement under oath that the designated election official prepared and furnished the substitute ballots and that the original ballots have not been received or have been destroyed or stolen, the election judges shall cause the substitute ballots to be used at the election. If from any cause neither the official ballots nor the substitute ballots are ready in time to be distributed for the election or if the supply of ballots is exhausted before the polls are closed, unofficial ballots, printed or written, made as nearly as possible in the form of the official ballots, may be used until substitutes prepared by the designated election official can be printed and delivered.

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 715, § 8, effective January 1, 1993.

Editor’s note: This section is similar to former § 1-6-408 as it existed prior to 1992.

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 [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.

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