2017 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 1 - Elections
General, Primary, Recall, and Congressional Vacancy Elections
Article 13.5 - Colorado Local Government Election Code
Part 11 - Independent Mail Ballot Elections
§ 1-13.5-1105. Procedures for conducting independent mail ballot election

(1) Official ballots must be prepared and all other preelection procedures followed as otherwise provided by law; except that mail ballot packets must be prepared in accordance with this part 11.

(2) (a) Except for coordinated elections conducted pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement as a mail ballot election where the county clerk and recorder is the coordinated election official under the "Uniform Election Code of 1992", articles 1 to 13 of this title, no later than thirty days prior to election day, the county clerk and recorder in which the local government is located shall submit to the designated election official conducting the independent mail ballot election a complete preliminary list of registered electors. For special district independent mail ballot elections, the county clerk and recorder and county assessor of each county in which a special district is located shall certify and submit to the designated election official a property owners list and a list of registered electors residing within the affected district.

(b) Not later than twenty days prior to election day, the county clerk and recorder and, if appropriate, county assessor, required to submit a preliminary list in accordance with paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) shall submit to the designated election official a supplemental list of the names of eligible electors or property owners who registered to vote on or before twenty-two days prior to the election and whose names were not included on the preliminary list.

(c) All registered electors' names and property owners lists provided to a designated election official under this section shall include the last mailing address of each elector.

(d) (I) No later than twenty days before an election, the designated election official, or the coordinated election official if so provided by an intergovernmental agreement, shall provide notice by publication of an independent mail ballot election conducted pursuant to this article, which notice shall state, as applicable for the particular election for which the notice is provided, the information set forth in section 1-13.5-502.

(II) The notice required to be given by this paragraph (d) is in lieu of the notice requirements set forth in section 1-13.5-502.

(3) Subsequent to the preparation of ballots, but prior to the mailing required under subsection (4) of this section, a designated election official shall provide a mail ballot to an eligible elector requesting the ballot at the office designated in the mail ballot plan.

(4) (a) Not sooner than twenty-two days before an election, and no later than fifteen days before an election, the designated election official shall mail to each active registered elector, at the last mailing address appearing in the registration records and in accordance with United States postal service regulations, a mail ballot packet marked "Do not forward. Address correction requested.", or any other similar statement that is in accordance with United States postal service regulations.

(b) The ballot or ballot label must contain the following warning:

Warning:

Any person who, by use of force or other means, unduly influences an eligible elector to vote in any particular manner or to refrain from voting, or who falsely makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits any mail ballot before or after it has been cast, or who destroys, defaces, mutilates, or tampers with a ballot is subject, upon conviction, to imprisonment, or to a fine, or both.

(c) (I) The return envelope must have printed on it a self-affirmation substantially in the form provided in section 1-13.5-605 (1).

(II) The signing of the self-affirmation on the return envelope constitutes an affirmation by the eligible elector to whom the ballot was provided, under penalty of perjury, that the facts stated in the self-affirmation are true. If the eligible elector is unable to sign, the eligible elector may affirm by making a mark on the self-affirmation, with or without assistance, that is witnessed by another person who signs as witness where indicated on the return envelope.

(III) Repealed.

(d) Not sooner than twenty-two days prior to election day, and until 7 p.m. on election day, mail ballots must be made available at the office designated in the mail ballot plan for eligible electors who are not listed or who are listed as "Inactive" on the county voter registration records or, for special district independent mail ballot elections, not listed on the property owners list or the registration list but who are authorized to vote pursuant to section 1-13.5-202 or other applicable law.

(e) (I) An eligible elector may obtain a replacement ballot if his or her original ballot was destroyed, spoiled, lost, or for any other reason not received by the eligible elector. An eligible elector may obtain a ballot if a mail ballot packet was not sent to the elector because the eligibility of the elector could not be determined at the time the mail ballot packets were mailed. In order to obtain a ballot, the eligible elector must sign a sworn statement specifying the reason for requesting the ballot, which statement must be presented to the designated election official no later than 7 p.m. on election day. The designated election official shall keep a record of each ballot issued in accordance with this paragraph (e) with a list of each ballot obtained pursuant to paragraph (d) of this subsection (4).

(II) A designated election official or election judge shall not transmit a mail ballot packet under this paragraph (e) unless a sworn statement requesting the ballot is received on or before election day. A ballot may be transmitted directly to the eligible elector requesting the ballot at the office designated in the mail ballot plan or may be mailed to the eligible elector at the address provided in the sworn statement. Such ballots may be cast no later than 7 p.m. on election day.

(5) (a) Upon receipt of a ballot, the eligible elector shall mark the ballot, sign and complete the self-affirmation on the return envelope, and comply with the instructions provided with the ballot.

(b) The eligible elector may return the marked ballot to the designated election official by United States mail or by depositing the ballot at the office of the official or any place identified in the mail ballot plan by the designated election official. The ballot must be returned in the return envelope. If an eligible elector returns the ballot by mail, the elector must provide postage. The ballot must be received at the office identified in the mail ballot plan or an identified depository, which must remain open until 7 p.m. on election day. The depository must be identified by the designated election official and located in a secure place under the supervision of the designated election official, an election judge, or another person named by the designated election official.

(6) Once the ballot is returned, an election judge shall first qualify the submitted ballot by comparing the information on the return envelope with the registration records and property owners list, as applicable, to determine whether the ballot was submitted by an eligible elector who has not previously voted in the election. If the ballot qualifies and is otherwise valid, the election judge shall indicate in the pollbook that the eligible elector cast a ballot and deposit the ballot in an official ballot box.

(7) All deposited ballots shall be counted as provided in this part 11. A mail ballot is valid and shall be counted only if it is returned in the return envelope, the self-affirmation on the return envelope is signed and completed by the eligible elector to whom the ballot was issued, and the information on the return envelope is verified in accordance with subsection (6) of this section. Mail ballots shall be counted in the same manner as provided by section 1-13.5-609 for counting paper ballots or section 1-13.5-708 or 1-13.5-811 for counting electronic ballots. If the election judge or designated election official determines that an eligible elector to whom a replacement ballot has been issued has voted more than once, the first ballot returned by the elector shall be considered the elector's official ballot. Rejected ballots shall be handled in the same manner as provided in section 1-13.5-1010.