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2022 Colorado Code
Title 1 - Elections
Article 13 - Election Offenses
Part 7 - Offenses - Conduct of Elections
§ 1-13-720. Unlawfully Giving or Promising Money or Employment or Facilitating the Trading of Votes

Universal Citation:
CO Code § 1-13-720 (2022)
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.

(1) It is unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, individually or through any other person:

(a) To pay, loan, or contribute, or offer or promise to pay, loan, or contribute, any money or other valuable consideration to or for any elector, or to or for any other person, to induce such elector to vote or refrain from voting at any election provided by law or to induce any elector to vote or refrain from voting at such election for any particular person or to induce such elector to go to the polls or remain away from the polls at such election or on account of such elector having voted or refrained from voting for any particular person or issue or having gone to the polls or remained away from the polls at such election; or

(b) To advance or pay, or cause to be paid, any money or other valuable thing to or for the use of any other person with the intent that the same, or any part thereof, shall be used in bribery at any election provided by law or to knowingly pay, or cause to be paid, any money or other valuable thing to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or partially expended in bribery at any such election; or

(c) To give, offer, or promise any office, place, or employment or to promise, procure, or endeavor to procure any office, place, or employment to or for any elector, or to or for any other person, in order to induce such elector to vote or refrain from voting at any election provided by law or to induce any elector to vote or refrain from voting at such election for any particular person or issue; or

(d) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(d) is effective until March 1, 2022. ] To facilitate the trading of votes between an elector in the state or a person in another state in exchange for the other person's vote for or against a particular candidate, ballot issue, or ballot question. A violation of this subsection (1)(d) is a class 2 petty offense and, upon conviction thereof, the offender shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars for each offense.

(d) [ Editor's note: This version of subsection (1)(d) is effective March 1, 2022. ] To facilitate the trading of votes between an elector in the state or a person in another state in exchange for the other person's vote for or against a particular candidate, ballot issue, or ballot question. A violation of this subsection (1)(d) is a petty offense.

(2) Except for the offense set forth in subsection (1)(d) of this section, each offense set forth in subsection (1) of this section is a class 1 misdemeanor.

Source: L. 80: Entire article R&RE, p. 436, § 1, effective January 1, 1981. L. 2018: IP(1) and (2) amended and (1)(d) added, (SB 18-076), ch. 202, p. 1315, § 1, effective September 1. L. 2021: (1)(d) and (2) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3130, § 42, effective March 1, 2022.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former §§ 1-13-122 and 1-30-102 as they existed prior to 1980.

(2) Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.

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