1-12-206. Vacancies in the office of county commissioner
Overview of Statute
Vacancies in the office of the county commissioner will be filled according to the manner of election and party affiliation of the vacated commissioner. If the vacating commissioner was elected by the electors of the whole county or elected only by the electors of a district, a vacancy committee comprised of individuals selected by the political party of the vacating commissioner, by majority vote, will fill vacancies. Vacating commissioners from minor parties will instead be chosen in accordance with the party’s bylaws. Lastly, for unaffiliated commissioners, the governor will select a qualified successor.
Regardless of the composition of the vacancy committee, committees may only vote by quorum, without proxy voting, no later than ten days after the creation of the vacancy, and after written notice is sent to each member. Qualifications for successors include county residence and membership in the vacating commissioner’s political party. These successors will remain in office until the next general election or until the vacancy is otherwise filled by election according to law.
Statute
(1) In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of county commissioner, a vacancy committee constituted as provided in this section shall, by a majority vote of its members present at a meeting called for the purpose, fill the vacancy by appointment within ten days after the occurrence of the vacancy. The meeting shall not be held unless a quorum is present consisting of not less than one-half of the voting members of the vacancy committee. A member of the vacancy committee may not vote by proxy. If the vacancy committee fails to fill the vacancy within ten days, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment within fifteen days after the occurrence of the vacancy.
(2) If the vacating commissioner was elected by the electors of the whole county, whether at large or from a district, the successor shall be appointed by a vacancy committee constituted of those persons selected at the county central committee organizational meeting of the same political party as the vacating commissioner.
(3) If the vacating commissioner was elected only by the electors of the district from which the vacating commissioner was elected, the county commissioner district central committee of the same district and political party as the vacating commissioner shall appoint a vacancy committee whose sole purpose shall be to name a successor to the position of county commissioner. In the event the county commissioner district central committee fails to appoint a vacancy committee, the vacancy committee shall consist of the chairperson and the vice-chairperson of the county commissioner district central committee, and a third person designated by the chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the precinct committeepersons of the same district and the same political party as the vacating commissioner.
(4) If the vacating commissioner is unaffiliated, then a registered unaffiliated successor shall be appointed by the governor, acting as a vacancy committee, within ten days after the vacancy.
(4.5) If the vacating commissioner is affiliated with a minor political party, then a registered elector affiliated with the same minor political party shall be appointed as the successor pursuant to the constitution or bylaws of the minor political party.
(5) Any person appointed to a vacancy in the office of county commissioner under this section must be a resident of the county and reside within the district, if any, in which the vacancy exists and must be a member of the same political party or minor political party, if any, shown in the statewide voter registration system as the vacating commissioner. Any person appointed pursuant to this section holds the office until the next general election or until the vacancy is filled by election according to law.
(6) A vacancy committee may not select a person to fill a vacancy at a meeting held pursuant to this section unless a written notice announcing the time and location of the vacancy committee meeting is mailed to each member of the vacancy committee at least six days before the meeting by the chairperson of the central committee. Mailing of the notice is effective when the notice is properly addressed and deposited in the United States mail with first-class postage prepaid.
Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 801, § 15, effective January 1, 1993.L. 98: (4.5) added and (5) amended, p. 260, § 16, effective April 13.L. 2008: (1) amended and (6) added, p. 1747, § 2, effective August 5. L. 2016: (5) amended, (SB 16-142), ch. 173, p. 588, § 67, effective May 18.
Editor’s note: This section is similar to former § 1-12-106 as it existed prior to 1992.
- Cross-References:
- Ballot Access
- Vacancies in Office
1. Definition for United States
Used in the territorial sense, means the several states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.
2. Definition for Political party
Any group of registered electors who, by petition or assembly, nominate candidates for the official general election ballot. “Political party” includes affiliated party organizations at the state, county, and election district levels, and all such affiliates are considered to be a single entity for the purposes of this article, except as otherwise provided in section 7. Section 2(13) of article XXVIII of the state constitution.
3. Definition for 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.
4. Definition for 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.
5. Definition for 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.
6. Definition for 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.
7. Definition for Committee
The committee of signers described in section 1-12-108(2). C.R.S. § 1-12-100.5.