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Campaign finance requirements in Colorado
 in Colorado |
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Federal campaign finance laws and regulations |
|---|
| Campaign finance reform |
| History of campaign finance reform |
| State by state comparison of campaign finance reporting requirements |
| Election policy |
| State information |
Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates and campaigns may receive from individuals and organizations, how they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political parties may contribute to campaigns. In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.
This page provides background on campaign finance regulation, lists contribution limits to state candidates and ballot measures in Colorado, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Colorado with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Colorado.
The information on this page pertains to candidates for state office and state ballot measures. Candidates for federal office are subject to federal campaign finance law. Candidates for local office are subject to all applicable state laws as well as any separate local campaign finance regulations.[1]
Background
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions, and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.[2] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within fifteen days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.[3]
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.[4] In the SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of the Citizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.[5][6] In 2014's McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.[7]
While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states require their own level of regulation and reporting. The amount of regulation required differs by state, as do the limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections. Candidates for local office must follow any applicable state and local campaign finance regulations.
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Colorado as of July 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient. The amounts listed indicate the amounts that can be given or received during the primary and general election. For example, political committees and federal PACs can give $200 to a State House or State Senate candidate once during the primary election and again during the general election for a total contribution limit of $400 per cycle.[8][9]
| Individuals | Single candidates committees | Federal PACs/Political committees | Small donor committees | Political party | Corporations and labor unions | Business (not a corporation) | Super PACs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | $725 | $0 | $725 | $7,825 | $789,060 | $0 | $725 | $0 | |
| Senate | $225 | $0 | $225 | $3,100 | $28,395 | $0 | $225 | $0 | |
| House | $225 | $0 | $225 | $3,100 | $20,500 | $0 | $225 | $0 | |
| Political committees | $725 | $725 | $725 | $725 | $725 | $725 | $725 | $0 | |
| Political party | $4,675 per year | $4,675 | $4,675 per year | $23,600 | Unlimited | $0 | $4,675 per year | $0 | |
| Small donor committee | $50 per year | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Ballot measures | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | |
| Limits apply per election unless otherwise noted. | |||||||||
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Contribution Acceptance Limits," accessed July 9, 2025 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Title 1, Article 45 of the Colorado Revised Statutes
In Colorado, candidates seeking state office must file campaign finance reports with the Colorado Secretary of State. These reports must be filed electronically through a system called TRACER, which stands for Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Reporting. That system can be accessed here.[11]
Candidates seeking federal office must file with the Federal Election Commission. Reporting details for federal candidates are not included in this section.
Getting started
Becoming a candidate
An individual is considered a candidate for the purposes of campaign finance reporting after he or she has publicly announced his or her candidacies and thereafter received a contribution or made an expenditure in support of the candidacy. Once the candidacy has been established, the candidate must do the following:[11]
- File a candidate affidavit within 10 days of becoming a candidate. This form states that the candidate is familiar with the state's campaign finance laws and regulations. If a candidate chooses to accept voluntary spending limits, the acceptance of voluntary spending limits form must be filed with the candidate affidavit.[11]
- File a personal financial disclosure form within 10 days of filing the candidate affidavit. An incumbent must file a new personal financial disclosure form or an update to an existing form by January 10 of each year, unless the candidate is seeking re-election or election to a new office. In that case, the form is due within 10 days of filing the candidate affidavit for that office.[11]
- Choose between forming a candidate committee to accept and spend money on the candidate's behalf or running as a stand-alone candidate without a committee. If a candidate committee is formed, it must be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State through TRACER.[11]
Stand-alone candidates
If a candidate chooses not to form a candidate committee, no money may be accepted from any other person or entity for the candidate's campaign. A candidate's personal funds must be used for any campaign expenditures. All expenditures must still be reported to the Colorado Secretary of State. If no expenditures are made, a stand-alone candidate does not have to file reports, though he or she may elect to file a report showing a zero balance. Expenditures of $20 or more must be itemized.[11]
If a stand-alone candidate loses an election, he or she is no longer considered a candidate. The candidate does not need to take any additional action to end his or her candidacy and does not have to file any reports after the election.[11]
Candidate committees
A candidate committee must include the candidate but does not need to include any other members. Joint candidates, such as governor and lieutenant governor, must have only one committee together. When registering a candidate committee, the following information must be included:[11]
- the name of the committee, including the name of the candidate
- the office sought
- physical, mailing, and e-mail addresses
- a description of your committee’s purpose
- financial information including the name of the bank where the committee has or will have an account
- a designated registered agent who will act as the committee’s representative (the candidate can serve as the registered agent or may designate another natural person to serve as registered agent)
A candidate remains a candidate as long as he or she has an active candidate committee. While the candidate committee is active, all assigned disclosure reports must be filed. To terminate a candidate committee, a candidate must file a termination report that shows campaign finances at a zero balance.[11]
Reporting
Campaign finance reports are scheduled to be filed according to election cycles. The election cycle starts on the 31st day after the general election for a particular office and ends the 30th day after the next general election for that office. Because an election cycle encompasses both an election year and a non-election year, reporting may vary within the election cycle.[11]
After a general election in which a candidate committee received contributions, the candidate committee must maintain all financial records for 180 days.[11]
How to report contributions
A candidate committee must report all contributions received, including non-monetary contributions. Non-monetary contributions may include goods, equipment, supplies, services, or any third party expenditures made on behalf of the candidate that are not reimbursed by the candidate committee. Additional reporting information may be required depending on the amount of the contribution. See the table below for details on these requirements.[11]
| Amount of contribution | Reporting requirements |
|---|---|
| $20 or less | Must be reported but does not need to be itemized. |
| $20 or more | Must report and itemize, meaning each contribution must be listed individually with the name and address of the contributor. |
| $100 or more | Must report, itemize and include the occupation and employer of the contributor. |
| $1,000 or more | If received within 30 days of the primary or general election, it is considered a Major Contribution and must be reported on a supplemental report within 24 hours of receipt. |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Campaign and Political Finance Manual," Revised December 2024 | |
How to report expenditures
All expenditures related to a candidate's campaign must be reported. This includes mileage, as well as reimbursements by the campaign to candidates, staff and volunteers. To report mileage as an expenditure, the Internal Revenue Service rate should be used. See the table below for details on expenditure reporting.[11]
| Amount of contribution | Reporting requirements |
|---|---|
| $20 or less | Must be reported but does not need to be itemized. |
| $20 or more | Must be reported and itemized individually. |
| Smaller amounts that add up to $20 or more to the same payee during one reporting period | Must be reported and itemized individually. |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Campaign and Political Finance Manual," Revised December 2024 | |
Reporting schedule
Reports must be filed as follows:[12]
- During non-election years quarterly reports are required. These are due by the 15th day after the applicable quarter.
- During election years, the following reports are required:
- Biweekly reports are due on the first Monday in May and on each Monday every two weeks thereafter until the primary election.
- Monthly reports begin the sixth full month before the general election. These are due on the first day of each following month, except for the month the general election is held.
- Biweekly reports are due on the first Monday in September and on each Monday every two weeks thereafter until the general election.
- A final report must be filed 35 days after the major election in election years or 14 days before and 30 days after a special legislative election held in an off-election year.
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Colorado's current legislative session.[13]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 32 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Colorado Amendment 29, Candidates on Primary Ballots Initiative (2002)
- Colorado Amendment 27, Campaign Contributions and Spending Limits Initiative (2002)
- Colorado Amendment 2, Elected State Board of Education Amendment (1930)
- Colorado Amendment 54, Campaign Contribution Limitations for Government Contractors Initiative (2008)
- Colorado Amendment 15, Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative (1994)
- Colorado Amendment 12, Election and Legislative Measure Reform Initiative (1994)
- Colorado Amendment No. 2, Voter Qualifications Amendment (1984)
- Colorado Amendment No. 1, Initiative and Referendum Process Amendment (1980)
- Colorado "Headless Ballot", Measure 14 (1912)
- Colorado Referendum A, Single-Subject Rule for Initiatives Amendment (1994)
- Colorado Amendment No. 2, Presidential Primary Measure (1990)
- Colorado Amendment 36, Division of Electoral Votes Initiative (2004)
- Colorado Referendum B, Ballot Measure Booklet Amendment (1994)
- Colorado Amendment 15, Contributions to Candidates Initiative (1996)
- Colorado Amendment 13, Initiative, Referendum, and Petition Process Initiative (1996)
- Colorado Referred Law No. 9, Disclosure of Financial Interests, Regulating Lobbyists, and Public State Meetings Initiative (1972)
- Colorado Special Elections for Initiatives and Referendums, Measure 11 (1912)
- Colorado Right to Petition Governor for Special Election on Measures, Measure 4 (1914)
- Colorado Measure 6, Elected State Board of Education Initiative (1928)
- Colorado Proposal No. 4, Residency Requirements for Voting in Presidential Elections Amendment (1962)
- Colorado Amendment No. 10, Voter Approval for Taxes Initiative (1976)
- Colorado Amendment 18, Declarations About Term Limits Initiative (1998)
- Colorado Referendum C, Selection of County Surveyors Amendment (2000)
- Colorado Retention Elections of Justices and Judges Amendment (2014)
- Colorado Yes or No Elections Initiative (2014)
- Colorado Two-Stage Election System Initiative (2014)
- Colorado Amendment No. 1, Joint Election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor Amendment (1968)
- Colorado Amendment No. 3, Franchises in Home Rule Municipalities Amendment (1986)
- Colorado Amendment No. 2, Reimbursements for Recall Elections Amendment (1988)
- Colorado Referendum F, Recalls of Elected Officials Amendment (2006)
- Colorado Proposition 131, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
- Colorado Amendment 1, Elected State Board of Education Measure (1948)
Contact information
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Colorado can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Colorado County Election Offices
Secretary of State
- 1700 Broadway Suite 550
- Denver, CO 80290
- Phone: 303-894-2200
- Fax: 303-869-4861
- Email: elections@sos.state.co.us
- Website: http://www.sos.state.co.us/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
- 1050 First Street, NE
- Washington, DC 20463
- Telephone: (202)-694-1100
- Toll-free: 1-800-424-9530
- Email: info@fec.gov
- Website: http://www.fec.gov/
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Colorado campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Colorado
- Colorado
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Campaign Finance Enforcement," accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "About the FEC," accessed June 27, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Registration Brochure," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Speechnow.org v. FEC," April 7, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Two Federal Court Rulings Could Change Campaign Finance Landscape," March 26, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Ongoing Litigation," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Contribution Acceptance Limits," accessed May 21, 2015
- ↑ vox.com, "Superpacs and dark money," accessed September 8, 2018
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Limits on Contributions to Candidates 2023-2024 Election Cycle," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Campaign and Political Finance Manual," Revised December 2024
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "Title 1, Article 45, Section 108," accessed July 9, 2025
- ↑ Bills are organized by most recent action. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
