Colorado Legislative Council Staff

NO FISCAL IMPACT

TITLE:            CONCERNING BALLOT ACCESS FOR MINOR POLITICAL PARTIES.

Summary of Assessment

            The bill would allow registered electors to form a minor political party. Minor political parties would be required to adopt a constitution or set of bylaws and file them with the Secretary of State. A “minor political party” would be a political party, other than a major political party, that filed a petition with the Secretary of State and met one of the following conditions; 1) had any candidate for statewide office receive five percent of the vote in either of the last two preceding General Elections, 2) 1,000 electors are registered with the political party by July 1 of the General Election year, or 3) had ten or more candidates on the ballot in the last General Election. Only major political parties would nominate candidates in a Primary Election. The bill would become effective upon the Governor’s signature.

            The bill would allow the creation of a minor political party. The minor party would have to file with the Secretary of State. The bill would require the Secretary of State to verify signatures of a petition that would allow the party to place candidates on the ballot as determined by the minor party’s constitution. The Secretary of State currently has the duty to verify petitions and budgets Secretary of State Cash funds for this purpose. Therefore, this bill is assessed as having no fiscal impact.

Departments Contacted

Secretary Of State