From Ballotpedia

This page details Colorado signature requirements. The signatures of registered voters are often required to place candidates or initiatives on the ballot. However, for candidates, filing fees are sometimes required or accepted in lieu of signatures.

Federal offices

U.S. Senate

U.S. House

Partisan primary candidates are designated by party assemblies. To be nominated by a partisan assembly, candidates must have publicly announced their candidacy, received/expended campaign funds, and been a registered member of the party since the beginning of the year. In general, 30% of the assembly vote is required to secure a place on the primary ballot. Minor party candidates, with some exceptions, are placed directly on the general election ballot without facing a primary. Once nominated, candidates must formally accept their party's designation, certifying their acceptance to the Secretary of State.

Filing deadlines

2012

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 U.S. Congress elections

State offices

Statewide executive offices

State legislature

Filing deadlines

2012

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 state government elections

Ballot measures

Current Requirements

Laws • History
List of measures

The number of valid signatures required for a successful petition effort is equal to 5% of the total number of votes cast for the office of Secretary of State in the preceding general election. The same number of signatures is required for constitutional amendments, statutes, and referendums.

Year	Amendment	Statute	Veto referendum
2012	85,853	85,853	85,853
2010	76,047	76,047	76,047
2008	76,047	76,047	76,047

See law: Colorado Constitution, Article V, Section 1, ¶ 2

Basis of calculation

A total of 317,083 ballots were cast in Colorado for the office of Secretary of State in 2010.^[1]

Recall

• In order to recall in Colorado, 25% of the votes cast in the last election for the official being recalled is required. Petitions must be circulated within 60 days.

Signature deadlines

2012

The signature filing deadline for the 2012 ballot in Colorado for all initiatives is August 6, 2012 by 3:00 PM-Mountain Time^[2].

2011

The signature filing deadline for the 2011 ballot in Colorado for all initiatives is August 1, 2011 by 3:00 PM-Mountain Time^[3].

2010

The signature filing deadline for the 2010 ballot in Colorado for initiated state statutes is July 12, 2010, while the deadline for initiated constitutional amendments is August 2, 2010^[4].

See also

• Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 U.S. Congress elections
• Signature requirements and deadlines for 2011 state government elections
• Laws governing the initiative process in Colorado
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Colorado

External links

• NCSL signature chart for 2008
• Signature Requirements for State Initiatives from the Secretary of State's official web site
• Colorado signature requirements collated by the Citizens in Charge Foundation
• Colorado proposed initiatives

References

	v • d • e Signature requirements
Signature requirements	Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Florida • Idaho • Illinois • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • South Dakota • Utah • Washington • Washington, D.C. • Wyoming
Petition companies	American Petition Consultants • Arno Political Consultants • Bader & Associates, Inc. • Canvasser Services • Capitol Assets • Democracy Direct • Democracy Resources • Discovery Petition Management • Fieldworks • JSM, Inc. • Kimball Petition Management • LAMM Political Partners, LLC • Masterson & Wright • National Ballot Access • National Petition Management • National Solutions • National Voter Outreach • Progressive Campaigns, Inc.
Terms	Approved for circulation • Circulation period • Circulator • Circulator affidavit • Forged signature • Fraudulent signature • Invalid signature • Paid circulator • Petition • Random sampling • Registered voter • Signature certification • Signer • Signer intent • Valid signature • Volunteer circulator • Signature transcription
Petition drive deadlines	2008 deadlines • 2009 deadlines • 2010 deadlines • 2011 deadlines • 2012 deadlines
Signature law	States where signature requirements are based on votes cast for governor

	v • d • e State of Colorado Denver (capital)
Ballot Measures	List of Colorado ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | Initiative laws | History of I&R | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process |
Government	Colorado State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | Legislative Council | State Auditor |
State executive officers	Governor | Lieutenant Governor | Attorney General | Secretary of State | Treasurer | Commissioner of Education | Commissioner of Insurance | Commissioner of Agriculture | Executive Director of Natural Resources | Executive Director of Labor and Employment | Chair of Public Utilities |
Elections	Recalls | Vote fraud |
Judiciary	Colorado Supreme Court | Court Election (2008) | Court of Appeals | District Courts | Judicial Nominating Commission | County Courts | Judicial activist organizations |
Transparency Topics	Open Records Act | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations |
Divisions	State | List of Counties | List of Cities | List of School Districts | Evaluation of county websites | Evaluation of city websites | Evaluation of township websites | Evaluation of school district websites |