Amendment K – Move Constitutional Election Deadlines Earlier

The CO Constitution currently states that all ballot measures must be published “in at least one legal publication of general circulation in each county of the state and shall be made at least fifteen days prior to the final date of voter registration for the election.” What is that final date? Today Colorado allows eligible people to register to vote on Election Day.

Ballots are mailed to military and overseas voters known as UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) voters 45 days before the election and to other voters 22 days before the election. Amendment K would require publication of the ballot measures 45 days before the election, instead of 15 days.

Currently, any citizen initiatives along with the required citizen signatures must be “filed with the secretary of state at least three months before the general election at which they are to be voted upon.” Amendment K would move this deadline one week earlier.

The current deadline for referenda is “not more than ninety days after the final adjournment of the session of the general assembly that passed the bill on which the referendum is demanded.” Amendment K would change the 90 days to 83 days.

Judges up for retention have a 3-month period in which to declare their intent to run for another term. Amendment K proposes changing the starting and ending point of this 3-month period earlier by one week.

Recommendation: Yes

Moving the publication deadline earlier for ballot measures makes sense since the ballot text must be ready for UOCAVA voters anyway. With a long ballot, regular (i.e., non-UOCAVA) voters should be able to see the ballot text before they get their ballot so they have time to do research.

One week earlier for initiatives, referenda and judges’ reelection declaration is also reasonable. The only noticeable impact might be a citizen referendum, such as 2020’s Prop 113 to overturn the legislature’s signing onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). If the legislature had passed SB19-042 at the end of the 2020 session instead of in 2019, opponents of NPVIC would have been squeezed for time to collect signatures.

Should these election deadlines be in the CO Constitution? Perhaps not, but Amendment K is not giving us the option of removing the constitutional deadlines.

Website for the Yes Side
No known website – Info on a proponents’ website appreciated.

Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.


Approved Ballot Language
Amendment K (CONSTITUTIONAL)

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the modification of certain deadlines in connection with specified elections?

YES/FOR ___
NO/AGAINST ___

SCR24-002 to refer Amendment K to the voters
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/scr24-002