Colorado § 1-4-502 - Methods of nomination for partisan candidates.

§ 1-4-502. Methods of nomination for partisan candidates.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (3) of this section, nominations for United States senator, representative in congress, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, member of the state board of education, regent of the university of Colorado, member of the general assembly, district attorney, and all county officers to be elected at the general election may be made by primary election under section 1-4-101 or by assembly or convention under section 1-4-702 by major political parties, by petition for nomination as provided in section 1-4-802, or by a minor political party as provided in section 1-4-1304.

(2) Nominations for presidential electors to be elected at the general election and for candidates to fill vacancies to unexpired terms of representatives in congress to be elected at a congressional vacancy election may be made by a convention of a political party, or by a committee authorized by the convention, or by petition for nomination of an unaffiliated candidate as provided in parts 8 and 9 of this article.

(3) For general elections:

(a) The nomination of a major political party for lieutenant governor shall be made by the party's candidate for governor. No later than seven days after the official statewide election results for the primary election are certified pursuant to section 1-10-105 (1), the party's candidate for governor shall select a candidate for lieutenant governor and shall file a written nomination of the candidate with the secretary of state. Other nominations for the office of lieutenant governor may be made by petition for nomination of an unaffiliated candidate as provided in section 1-4-802 or by a minor political party as provided in section 1-4-1304 (2).

(b) No person shall be eligible for a major political party nomination for lieutenant governor unless such person is a registered elector and has been affiliated with the major political party making the nomination, as shown in the record books of the county clerk and recorder, no later than the first business day of the January immediately preceding the election for which the person desires to be placed in nomination.

(c) Any person nominated as the candidate for lieutenant governor of a major political party pursuant to subsection (3)(a) of this section shall file a written acceptance with the secretary of state by mail or hand delivery. The written acceptance must be postmarked or received by the secretary of state within thirty days after the nomination. If an acceptance is not filed within the required time, the candidate is deemed to have declined the nomination, and the nomination must be treated as a vacancy to be filled as provided in part 10 of this article 4.

Source: L. 92: Entire part R&RE, p. 677, § 5, effective January 1, 1993. L. 95: Entire section amended, p. 860, § 115, effective July 1. L. 98: (1) amended, p. 256, § 6, effective April 13. L. 2000: (1) amended and (3) added, p. 2027, § 2, effective August 2. L. 2003: (1) amended, p. 1309, § 6, effective April 22. L. 2010: (3)(b) amended, (HB 10-1271), ch. 324, p. 1501, § 2, effective May 27. Initiated 2016: (1) amended, Proposition 108, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 27, 2016. See L. 2017, p. 2823. L. 2017: IP(3) and (3)(c) amended, (SB 17-209), ch. 234, p. 962, § 7, effective August 9. L. 2019: (3)(a) and (3)(c) amended, (HB 19-1278), ch. 326, p. 3010, § 16, effective August 2. L. 2021: (3)(a) amended, (SB 21-250), ch. 282, p. 1639, § 14, effective June 21.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 1-4-502 as it existed prior to 1992.

(2) This section was amended by initiative in 2016. The vote count on Proposition 108 at the general election held November 8, 2016, was as follows:

FOR: 1,398,577

AGAINST: 1,227,117

Cross references: (1) For party nominations by convention, see § 1-4-701.

(2) For the declaration of the people of Colorado in Proposition 108, see section 1 on p. 2822, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.

(3) For the short title ("Colorado Votes Act") in HB 19-1278, see section 1 of chapter 326, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.