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Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Mail Ballot Elections

1-7.5-106. Secretary of state – duties and powers

Statute

(1) In addition to any other duties prescribed by law, the secretary of state, with advice from election officials of the several political subdivisions, shall:

(a) Prescribe the form of materials to be used in the conduct of mail ballot elections; except that all mail ballot packets shall include a ballot, instructions for completing the ballot, and a return envelope;

(b) Establish procedures for conducting mail ballot elections; except that the procedures shall be consistent with section 1-7.5-107;

(c) Supervise the conduct of mail ballot elections by the election officials as provided in section 1-7.5-105 (3).

(2) In addition to other powers prescribed by law, the secretary of state may adopt rules governing procedures and forms necessary to implement this article and may appoint any county clerk and recorder as an agent of the secretary to carry out the duties prescribed in this article.

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 754, § 10, effective January 1, 1993.L. 2001: (1)(a) amended, p. 1003, § 10, effective August 8.L. 2003: (1)(a) amended, p. 1278, § 5, effective April 22. L. 2018: (1)(a) amended, (SB 18-233), ch. 262, p. 1612, § 27, effective May 29.

Editor’s note: This section is similar to former § 1-7.5-106 as it existed prior to 1992.
 
ANNOTATION

Holding that tri-fold envelope that conceals the voter’s mark when folded in a certain way satisfies the requirement that a secrecy envelope be included with mail ballot packets. Bruce v. City of Colo. Springs, 971 P.2d 679 (Colo. App. 1998).

Definition [Return envelope]

An envelope that is printed with spaces for the name and address of, and a self-affirmation to be signed by, an eligible elector voting in a mail ballot election, that contains a secrecy envelope and ballot for the elector, and that is designed to allow election officials, upon examining the signature, name, and address on the outside of the envelope, to determine whether the enclosed ballot is being submitted by an eligible elector who has not previously voted in that particular election. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Definition [Secrecy envelope]

The envelope or sleeve used for a mail ballot election that contains the eligible elector’s ballot for the election, and that is designed to conceal and maintain the confidentiality of the elector’s vote until the counting of votes for that particular election. C.R.S. § 1-5-103.

Definition [Mail ballot packet]

The packet of information provided by the designated election official to eligible electors in the mail ballot election and to persons preregistered to vote pursuant to section 1-2-101(2) who will be eighteen years of age on the date of the mail ballot election. The packet includes the ballot, instructions for completing the ballot, a secrecy envelope or sleeve, and a return envelope. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Definition [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.

Definition [Political subdivision]

A governing subdivision of the state, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

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.

Definition [Secretary]

The Colorado secretary of state. C.R.S. § 1-1.5-102.