HB 25-1191

House Bill 25-1191 changes how vacancies for county commissioner positions are filled in Colorado. Instead of using a committee chosen by the local party leaders, it requires that any open position be filled through an election where only residents from the affected district can vote if they belong to the same political party as the vacating commissioner or are unaffiliated voters. The bill also sets rules for when and how these special elections should take place, ensuring they either coincide with regular elections or happen within 30 to 60 days of the vacancy occurring. Since it has been signed into law, this means that any future county commissioner vacancies will now be filled through these specified election procedures rather than by a committee.

Official Summary

Currently, a vacancy in the office of a county commissioner (vacancy) is filled by a vacancy committee selected by the county central committee. The bill eliminates the vacancy committee process for vacancies and requires that vacancies be filled by a vacancy election. An individual elected in a vacancy election serves for the remainder of the vacating county commissioner's original term. If the vacancy occurs within 180 days of a regularly scheduled primary, coordinated, or general election for which the ballots have not yet been certified, the vacancy election is held as part of the primary, coordinated, or general election. If the vacancy occurs more than 180 days before a regularly scheduled election or the ballots for the regularly scheduled election have already been certified, the vacancy election occurs on a date set by the designated election official, which must not be less than 30 days or more than 60 days after the vacancy occurs. A legislative vacancy election is administered according to the state election code, as applicable. An individual who desires to be a candidate at a vacancy election shall submit to the secretary of state a notarized candidate's statement of intent together with a nonrefundable filing fee of $500. A candidate must meet the current statutory and constitutional requirements for serving as a county commissioner and be registered with the vacating county commissioner's political party, if any, by January 1 of the calendar year in which the vacancy election occurs. Only registered electors who reside within the district served by the vacating county commissioner and who are registered with the same political party as the vacating county commissioner or who are unaffiliated are eligible to vote in a vacancy election. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)