Colorado § 1-5-505.5 - State reimbursement to counties for elections with state certified ballot content.

§ 1-5-505.5. State reimbursement to counties for elections with state certified ballot content.

(1) (a) For any state primary, coordinated, general, congressional vacancy, special legislative, or recall election conducted after July 1, 2024, where the state certifies any ballot content, the state shall reimburse each county for forty-five percent of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the election, including the cost of printing and supplies. The remainder of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the election is a county charge, the payment of which is provided in the same manner as the payment of other expenses. The secretary of state may adopt rules for determining which costs are necessary and reasonable and therefore reimbursable by the state.

(b) For a coordinated election, the political subdivisions for which the county clerk and recorder will conduct a coordinated election shall enter into an agreement with the county clerk and recorder pursuant to section 1-7-116 (2) for a reasonable sharing of the county's costs of the coordinated election that are not reimbursed by the state pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section among the county and the political subdivisions.

(c) Presidential primary elections shall be funded pursuant to 24-21-104.5 (2).

(d) (I) For a county commissioner vacancy election held as part of an odd-year November election for which the state certifies any ballot content, the state shall reimburse each county for forty-five percent of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the coordinated election, which may include the vacancy election, according to subsections (1)(a) and (1)(b) of this section. The remainder of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the vacancy election is a county charge, the payment of which is provided in the same manner as the payment of other expenses. The secretary of state may adopt rules for determining which costs are necessary and reasonable and therefore reimbursable by the state.

(II) For a county commissioner vacancy election held as part of an odd-year November election for which the state does not certify any ballot content, the costs that the county incurs in conducting the vacancy election are county costs.

(e) For a major political party vacancy election, as described in section 1-12-203 (1.5), held as part of an odd-year coordinated election for which the state has not otherwise certified any statewide ballot content, the state shall reimburse each county in which the state has certified a major political party vacancy election for forty-five percent of the costs that the county incurs in conducting the coordinated election, as provided in subsection (1)(a) of this section.

(2) The general assembly shall make appropriations to the department of state from the department of state cash fund or from the general fund for the purpose of reimbursing counties as required by this section in conformity with section 24-21-104.5; except that for the 2024 general election, the general assembly shall appropriate two million five hundred thousand dollars from the general fund to the department of state cash fund for the purpose of reimbursing counties as required by this section.

Source: L. 2000: Entire section added, p. 655, § 2, effective August 2. L. 2006: (3) amended, p. 2032, § 10, effective June 6. L. 2012: (3) amended, (HB 12-1143), ch. 231, p. 1014, § 1, effective May 29. L. 2023: Entire section R&RE, (SB 23-276), ch. 399, p. 2380, § 18, effective July 1, 2024. L. 2025: (1)(d) added, (HB 25-1319), ch. 272, p. 1404, § 2, effective May 28; (1)(e) added, (HB 25-1315), ch. 180, p. 770, § 3, effective August 6.