//Run for office · Colorado

How to run for local office in Colorado

Every active Colorado voter is mailed a ballot, and the Secretary of State sells a returned-ballot list refreshed every two hours, so a local race is run against a live list of who has already voted.

Facts checked against official sources · September 9, 2026

Colorado runs every election by mail. County clerks send a ballot to every active registered voter, ballots come back by mail, drop box, or in person, and the clerk must have them by 7 p.m. on election day. For a local candidate that means the race is decided over roughly three weeks of returns, not on one Tuesday, and both the Secretary of State and the county clerks publish who has returned a ballot while voting is still open.

Where you file depends on the office. School board and special district candidates nominate themselves through the district and report campaign finance to the Secretary of State in TRACER. Statutory city and town candidates petition and report through the municipal clerk. County offices are partisan and go through the county clerk, with finance reports in TRACER. Most local contests fall on the odd-year November coordinated election, which is November 2, 2027.

Election authority: Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division
Voter file: Public record — anyone can obtain it · $50 per report on data disc for the Statewide Registered Voter List (EX-003) or the Master Voter History export (EX-002); $1,000 for the Election Cycle Subscription, which adds weekly voter-list refreshes and the daily ballot files (Elections Division fee schedule and data request form revised November 2024, checked 2026-09-09)
Campaign finance: TRACER (Colorado Secretary of State, Campaign and Political Finance)
How voters vote: Every registered voter is mailed a ballot
Registration deadline: To receive a ballot by mail, register or update online at GoVoteColorado.gov, by mail, or at a driver license office through the 8th day before the election (Oct. 25, 2027); voter registration drive forms are due 22 days out (Oct. 11, 2027). After that, you can still register and vote in person at any voter service and polling center in your county through 7 p.m. on election day.
Local offices: School district, special district, and municipal offices are nonpartisan; petitions are circulated without regard to affiliation. County offices (commissioner, clerk and recorder, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, coroner, surveyor) are partisan and are decided at the June primary and November general election in even years.

Who runs elections in Colorado

Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division The Secretary of State publishes the annual election calendar and the election rules (8 CCR 1505-1), runs TRACER (the campaign finance system used by county, school district, and special district candidates), and sells the statewide voter file and the daily ballot-return files. It does not accept local nomination petitions; those go to the county clerk, the municipal clerk, or the district's designated election official.

County clerk and recorders in all 64 counties (including the consolidated City and County of Denver and City and County of Broomfield) register voters, mail ballots, run drop boxes and voter service and polling centers, and serve as the coordinated election official for the odd-year November election. Statutory municipalities run their own April or November elections through the municipal clerk unless they coordinate with the county. Special districts run their May elections through a designated election official (DEO), with oversight from the Department of Local Affairs.

Getting the Colorado voter file

The voter file is the list of every registered voter, with the fields a campaign needs to target: address, party where the state records it, and vote history. In Colorado it comes from Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division (Elections Data Request Form).

Access: Public record — anyone can obtain it
Cost: $50 per report on data disc for the Statewide Registered Voter List (EX-003) or the Master Voter History export (EX-002); $1,000 for the Election Cycle Subscription, which adds weekly voter-list refreshes and the daily ballot files (Elections Division fee schedule and data request form revised November 2024, checked 2026-09-09)
Format: Delimited text file, one row per voter; mailed on disc within about 72 hours, or electronic download for subscribers
Vote history: Included
Phone numbers: Included where on file
Updated: The subscription file is refreshed weekly; a one-time disc order reflects the day it is pulled. The Master Voter History (EX-002) is produced after each statewide election.

Who can get it: Anyone. The Secretary of State is required to provide the public-record portion of every voter record to any member of the public who asks, without regard to how it will be used (Public Voter Data FAQ, Q1 and Q3). Confidential voters and Address Confidentiality Program participants are excluded from every export.

Permitted use: No statutory use restriction on the public-record fields. Confidential fields are never released: Social Security number, driver license number, month and day of birth, signature, and email address.

County option: County clerks sell or give away county-level exports and are the right source for a single-county race. Jefferson County, for example, emails a free monthly voter file (comma-delimited voter extract plus a separate voter history file) and a free daily ballot status file during elections; its special-district voter lists cost $25.

Public fields (FAQ Q3): full name, residential address, party affiliation and affiliation date, phone number if the voter provided one, gender identity if provided, birth year, and whether the voter voted in prior elections.
A voter can become a confidential voter for a $5 fee at the county clerk's office; those records are withheld from every public export, so your list will never be the full roll.

Whatever file you get, Culper imports it as a CSV and maps the columns for you. See how to read a voter file for what the fields mean.

Filing to run for local office in Colorado

Local ballot access in Colorado is by petition or self-nomination, never by filing fee, and each office has its own filing officer and clock. School director: a nomination petition signed by at least 50 eligible electors (25 in a district with fewer than 1,000 students), circulated no earlier than 90 days before the election and filed with the school district's designated election official by the 67th day (C.R.S. 1-4-803). Statutory city or town: a petition with 25 registered electors in a city or city ward, 10 in a town or town ward, circulated between the 91st and 71st day before the election and filed with the municipal clerk (C.R.S. 31-10-302). Special district director: a self-nomination and acceptance form witnessed by one elector, filed with the district's DEO between January 1 and the 67th day before the May election (C.R.S. 1-13.5-303). County offices are partisan and reach the ballot by party assembly or petition through the county clerk.

File with: School district designated election official (school director); municipal clerk (statutory city and town offices; home rule cities under their charters); special district designated election official (special district director); county clerk and recorder (partisan county offices).
Filing fee: None under state law for school director, statutory municipal, or special district candidates; nomination is by petition or self-nomination form (C.R.S. 1-4-803, 31-10-302, 1-13.5-303). Home rule municipalities set their own procedures, so confirm with the city clerk.
Petition: School director: 50 eligible electors (25 if the district has fewer than 1,000 students). Statutory city or city ward: 25 registered electors. Statutory town or town ward: 10 registered electors. Special district: no signatures; a self-nomination form signed by the candidate and one witness.
Partisan?: School district, special district, and municipal offices are nonpartisan; petitions are circulated without regard to affiliation. County offices (commissioner, clerk and recorder, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, coroner, surveyor) are partisan and are decided at the June primary and November general election in even years.

Filing window: Everything counts back from election day. School director petitions may circulate from 90 days out and are due 67 days out (1-4-803). Municipal petitions circulate from the 91st day and are due on the 71st day (31-10-302). Special district self-nomination forms are accepted from January 1 through the 67th day before the May election (1-13.5-303). Write-in candidates for a nonpartisan coordinated election file an affidavit of intent by close of business on the 64th day (1-4-1102).

Key Colorado dates
What	When	Note
Special district self-nomination and acceptance form due (May 4, 2027 election)	February 26, 2027	67th day before the regular special district election, C.R.S. 1-13.5-303; the Division of Local Government lists Feb. 26, 2027.
Special district regular election	May 4, 2027	Tuesday after the first Monday in May of odd-numbered years, run by each district's designated election official.
First day school director petitions may circulate	August 4, 2027	No sooner than 90 days before the election, C.R.S. 1-4-803(1)(b).
Municipal nomination petitions due (statutory municipality with a Nov. 2, 2027 election)	August 23, 2027	71st day before the election, C.R.S. 31-10-302(2); circulation opens on the 91st day, Aug. 3, 2027. For an April 4, 2028 election the window is Jan. 4 to Jan. 24, 2028.
School director nomination petitions due	August 27, 2027	67th day before the election, C.R.S. 1-4-803(2); Secretary of State 2027 election calendar.
Write-in affidavit of intent, nonpartisan coordinated election	August 30, 2027	Close of business on the 64th day before the election, C.R.S. 1-4-1102(2).
Earliest day county clerks may mail ballots for the coordinated election	October 4, 2027	Secretary of State 2027 calendar: no sooner than 29 days before the election, citing 1-7.5-107(3)(a)(I). Ballots must reach the clerk by 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.
Last day to register online, by mail, or at an agency and still be mailed a ballot	October 25, 2027	8th day before the election, C.R.S. 1-2-201(3)(b)(III). After this date, register and vote in person at a voter service and polling center through election day.
Coordinated election day	November 2, 2027	Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years; drop boxes and polling centers close at 7 p.m.

The 2027 coordinated election is the regular election for school directors statewide and for any municipality or special district that has moved its regular election to November of odd years.
Statutory towns default to the first Tuesday of April in even years and statutory cities to the first Tuesday of November in odd years unless voters moved the date under C.R.S. 31-10-109. Home rule cities set their own dates in their charters.

Campaign finance rules in Colorado

State-level campaign finance in Colorado is overseen by Colorado Secretary of State, Campaign and Political Finance through TRACER.

Where local candidates file: C.R.S. 1-45-109 assigns the filing officer by office. School district director and special district director candidates, county candidates, and candidates for any office covering more than one county file the candidate affidavit, committee registration, and every disclosure report with the Secretary of State in TRACER. Municipal candidates file all of it with the municipal clerk of their city or town; TRACER does not take municipal filings. Home rule cities and counties can add their own rules on top of state law, so ask the clerk before you raise a dollar. In every case you must register a candidate committee before accepting any contribution, and the candidate affidavit is due within 10 days of becoming a candidate.

Contribution limits: State limits (adjusted under CPF Rule 10.17 and current through 2027) that reach local candidates: a natural person may give $1,425 per election cycle to a county candidate under state law and $2,500 per election to a school director candidate; a political committee has the same limits; a political party may give a county candidate $25,475 per cycle; a small donor committee may accept $50 per person per year. Corporations and labor organizations may not contribute to any candidate committee. The Secretary of State's table lists no state limit for municipal or special district candidates; statutory municipalities follow state law, and home rule cities set their own limits by ordinance, so confirm with the municipal clerk.

Reporting: The Secretary of State posts a TRACER filing calendar for each election type each year. Candidates on the ballot file a frequent schedule around the election (special district candidates in the May 6, 2025 election filed April 15, May 2, and June 10, 2025); candidates not on the ballot file one annual report. Special district candidates only file once they raise or spend more than $200. Late reports are penalized $50 per day, including weekends.

Municipal candidates: get the filing calendar and any local contribution limit from the municipal clerk; the state calendars do not cover you.
If you only spend your own money you can run as a standalone candidate without a committee, but you still file the candidate affidavit.

Limits and thresholds change. Treat the figures here as a starting point and confirm the current schedule with Colorado Secretary of State, Campaign and Political Finance before you accept a check. Our campaign finance basics guide covers the bookkeeping every local candidate needs on day one.

How voting works in Colorado

Every registered voter is mailed a ballot. Every active registered voter is mailed a ballot automatically; no request is needed. Voters return it by mail, at a 24-hour drop box, or in person, or they can surrender it and vote at a voter service and polling center. Postmarks do not count: the county clerk must have the ballot by 7 p.m. on election day.

Early voting: There is no separate early-voting period; the mail-ballot return window is the early vote. Drop boxes must accept ballots for the 22 days before and including election day (C.R.S. 1-5-102.9(5)(c)), and the minimum number of voter service and polling centers must be open from at least 8 days before a coordinated election through election day (Oct. 25 to Nov. 2, 2027), except Sundays.
Mail ballots: The Secretary of State's 2027 calendar lists Oct. 4, 2027 as the first day clerks may mail ballots for the Nov. 2 coordinated election (29 days out, citing 1-7.5-107(3)(a)(I)); the 2024 printing of the statute set the window at 22 to 18 days before, so plan on ballots landing in homes in the first half of October and confirm the mailing date with your county clerk. Voters with a missing or mismatched signature can cure until 11:59 p.m. on the 8th day after the election.
Registration deadline: To receive a ballot by mail, register or update online at GoVoteColorado.gov, by mail, or at a driver license office through the 8th day before the election (Oct. 25, 2027); voter registration drive forms are due 22 days out (Oct. 11, 2027). After that, you can still register and vote in person at any voter service and polling center in your county through 7 p.m. on election day.
Same-day registration: Yes

Knowing who has already voted: Statewide: the Secretary of State sells the Public List of Voters with a Returned Ballot (report CE-068c) for the primary, general, and odd-year coordinated elections. Once ballots are mailed it is regenerated every two hours from 7:20 a.m. to 9:20 p.m., every day, and costs $50 per report on disc or is included in the $1,000 Election Cycle Subscription with electronic download (the subscription also carries CE-068, voters who have been sent a ballot, every four hours; the daily rejected-signature cure list CE-077; and the undeliverable-ballot list CE-037). Order with the Elections Data Request Form. County level: the Secretary of State's FAQ sends countywide requests to the county clerk, and many clerks give the file away. Jefferson County emails a free Daily Ballot Status File with ballot-sent and ballot-received dates for every non-confidential voter from 30 days before through 9 days after the election. The Secretary of State also posts statewide return totals by county and party every weekday during the window.

In a vote-by-mail state the campaign is won during the return window, not on election day. Read ballot chase in vote-by-mail states for how to work the returned-ballot list every day.

Local government in Colorado: what you can run for

Colorado has 64 counties, two of which (Denver and Broomfield) are consolidated city-and-counties; the rest are governed by boards of county commissioners with separately elected clerk and recorder, sheriff, treasurer, assessor, coroner, and surveyor. Municipalities are either statutory cities and towns under Title 31 or home rule cities and towns under Article XX of the state constitution with their own charters and election ordinances. School districts are independent taxing districts governed by elected boards of education. Title 32 special districts (metropolitan, fire protection, water and sanitation, park and recreation, library, hospital) elect their own boards; the Department of Local Affairs' Division of Local Government oversees their elections.

County commissioner
County clerk and recorder
Sheriff
County treasurer
County assessor
Coroner
City council member
Mayor
Town trustee
School district director (board of education)
Special district director (metro, fire, water, park and recreation)
RTD director (Denver metro)

When local elections happen: School directors and November-cycle municipalities are elected at the coordinated election on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd years (Nov. 2, 2027), run by the county clerk. Special district directors are elected on the Tuesday after the first Monday in May of odd years (May 4, 2027), run by the district. Statutory towns default to the first Tuesday of April in even years and statutory cities to November of odd years unless voters changed the date; home rule cities set their own dates. County offices are partisan and are elected with state offices at the June primary and November general election in even years.

Running your Colorado campaign on Culper

Culper does not license voter data in Colorado today. You upload the Colorado voter file described above as a CSV, and every feature runs on it: search and lists, plain-English queries, texting and email, block walking, and volunteer coordination. Online donation processing is in development; ask about timing on the onboarding call. Your file stays in your campaign's workspace and is never shared with another campaign.

Set up your Colorado campaign in an afternoon

Upload the voter file, ask for your first list in plain English, and hand your volunteers the walking app. Signup is open to candidates in every state. Pricing is set after a short call so it matches the size of the race.

Get started Book a demo

Colorado questions we get asked

How do I get the Colorado voter file, and what does it cost?

Order it from the Colorado Secretary of State with the Elections Data Request Form. A one-time Statewide Registered Voter List (EX-003) or Master Voter History export (EX-002) is $50 per report on disc; the $1,000 Election Cycle Subscription gives you electronic download of the weekly voter list plus the daily ballot files for the whole cycle (fee schedule checked 2026-09-09). The file is public record, so no attestation of political use is required. For a single-county race, ask your county clerk first: Jefferson County, for example, emails a free monthly county file.

How do I find out who has already returned their ballot in a Colorado election?

Buy the Public List of Voters with a Returned Ballot (report CE-068c) from the Colorado Secretary of State. After ballots go out it is regenerated every two hours from 7:20 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. daily; it is $50 per report on disc or included in the $1,000 cycle subscription with online download. County clerks produce the same list for their county, and several give it away: Jefferson County emails a free daily ballot status file from 30 days before the election through 9 days after. Match it against your voter file each morning and stop contacting anyone whose ballot has been received.

Where does a city council or school board candidate file campaign finance reports in Colorado?

It depends on the office (C.R.S. 1-45-109). Colorado school board candidates, special district candidates, and county candidates register their committee and file every report with the Secretary of State in TRACER. Candidates for city council, mayor, or town trustee file with the municipal clerk of their own city or town, not with the state. Register the committee before you accept the first contribution, and file the candidate affidavit within 10 days of becoming a candidate.

When is the filing deadline for a Colorado school board race in 2027?

Colorado school director candidates file a nomination petition with the school district's designated election official no later than 67 days before the election: Friday, August 27, 2027 for the November 2, 2027 coordinated election (C.R.S. 1-4-803). You may start circulating on August 4, 2027 (90 days out), and you need at least 50 eligible electors from anywhere in the district (25 if the district enrolls fewer than 1,000 students). There is no filing fee.

Are there contribution limits for local candidates in Colorado?

Yes for county and school board races, and it varies for cities. Under Colorado law a natural person may give a county candidate $1,425 per election cycle and a school director candidate $2,500 per election (limits current through 2027). Corporations and unions cannot give to any candidate committee. The state does not list a limit for municipal or special district candidates; statutory towns follow state law and home rule cities set their own by ordinance, so check with the municipal clerk before setting your ask.

When are local elections held in Colorado?

Most Colorado local races are on the coordinated election, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd years (November 2, 2027): school boards statewide plus any city or special district that moved to that date. Special district boards vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in May of odd years (May 4, 2027). Statutory towns default to the first Tuesday of April in even years, statutory cities to November of odd years, and home rule cities set their own dates. County offices are partisan and run with the state ticket in even years.

Can a Colorado voter still register after ballots have been mailed?

Yes. Colorado has same-day registration: a voter can register or update an address at any voter service and polling center in the county through 7 p.m. on election day and vote in person. To be mailed a ballot, though, the registration must be in by the 8th day before the election (October 25, 2027 for the coordinated election). Voter registration drive forms have an earlier cutoff, 22 days before the election.

Keep reading

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the official sources below on September 9, 2026. Rules change between cycles; when a number here and the agency disagree, the agency is right.