CO Presidential Ballot Access
Colorado Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Colorado, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a major or minor political party may be placed on the general election ballot. A political party nominating candidates by party assembly or convention must nominate the candidates of the party and make such nominations public not later than seventy-five days before the general election Political parties must file with the secretary of state no later than 60 da ys before the general election a certificate of nomination for presidential electors. The name of the presidential candidate may be added to the certificate. A major political party is a political party that that was represented on the ballot at the last preceding gubernatorial elec tion by a political party candidate or individual nominee who received at least 10% of the total gubernatorial votes cast. A minor political party is a political party that had a candidate for statewide office in either of the last two preceding ge neral election receive at least 1% of the total votes cast for any statewide office, or has 1,000 or more registered electors affiliated with the party prior to July 1st in either of the last two preceding general elections. A political party may also qualify as a minor political party through any of the following methods:-the party had a candidate for statewide office in either of the last two preceding general elections receive at least five percent of the total votes cast for such office;-one thousand or more registered electors are affiliated with the minor political party prior to July 1st of the election year for which the minor party seeks to nominate candidates; or-the party files with the secretary of state no later than the second Friday of January a petition containing the signatures of 10,000 registered electors
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
An unaffiliated presidential candidate may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the secretary of state no later than the 90th day before the election a petition containing the signatures of at least 5,000 eligible electors and a notice of acceptance of the nomination from the presidential candidate and each of the electors.
Fee Access
Fee Access
An unaffiliated presidential candidate may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the secretary of state no later than 90 days before the election a statement of intent and a $500 fee.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A presidential write-in candidate must file with the secretary of state an affidavit of intent no later than the 110th day prior to the election.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 1-1-104, 1-3-100.3, 1-4-302, 1-4-303, 1-4-502; 1-4-701, 1-4-802; 1-4-1101, 1-4-1102, 1-4-1302, 1-4-1303, 1-4-1304
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.