Colorado Establish Approval Voting System Initiative (2020)
| Colorado Establish Approval Voting System Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Electoral systems | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The Colorado Establish Approval Voting System Initiative (#104) was not on the ballot in Colorado as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2020.
Measure design
- See also: Approval voting
The initiative would have established an approval voting system in Colorado for all state and local elections. An approval voting system is an electoral system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. The candidate receiving the most votes wins. Approval voting may be used in single-winner systems and multi-winner systems.[1][2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title and submission clause for the initiative is below:[3][4]
| “ | Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes adopting approval voting, a voting method in which electors may cast votes for multiple candidates in each race in all state and local elections and the winner in each race is the candidate or, in the case of a multiple-seat race, candidates, receiving the highest number of votes cast?[5] | ” |
Full text
The full text of Initiative #104 is available here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Colorado, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 5 percent of the total number of votes cast for the office of Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. State law provides that petitioners have six months to collect signatures after the ballot language and title are finalized. State statutes require a completed signature petition to be filed three months and three weeks before the election at which the measure would appear on the ballot. The Constitution, however, states that the petition must be filed three months before the election at which the measure would appear. The secretary of state generally lists a date that is three months before the election as the filing deadline.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2020 ballot:
- Signatures: 124,632 valid signatures
- Deadline: August 3, 2020[6]
The secretary of state is responsible for signature verification. Verification is conducted through a review of petitions regarding correct form and then a 5 percent random sampling verification. If the sampling projects between 90 percent and 110 percent of required valid signatures, a full check of all signatures is required. If the sampling projects more than 110 percent of the required signatures, the initiative is certified. If less than 90 percent, the initiative fails.
Details about this initiative
- Nathan Clay and Mark Tejada filed the initiative on December 18, 2019. The ballot title for the measure was approved on January 2, 2020. The measure was approved for signature gathering on January 16, 2020.[3]
- Proponents did not submit signatures by the deadline on August 3, 2020.[3]
- Changes to Colorado ballot initiative process due to COVID-19: On May 17, 2020, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed Executive Order D 2020 065, which authorized the Colorado Secretary of State to establish temporary rules allowing for ballot initiative petitions to be signed through mail and email. The order also temporarily suspended the state law requiring signatures to be submitted six months after ballot language finalization. Under the order, signatures for 2020 Colorado initiatives were due by August 3, 2020.[7] Legal challenges were filed against the order, specifically challenging the mail and email signature gathering provisions. Those provisions of the order were ultimately struck down by the Colorado Supreme Court on July 1, 2020, meaning proponents needed to collect signatures in person.[8][9] [10][11][12]
See also
External links
- Initiative #104 full text
- Colorado Secretary of State: Initiative Filings, Agendas & Results
- Initiatives filed with the Legislative Council Staff
Footnotes
- ↑ The Center for Election Science, "Approval Voting," accessed July 4, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Initiative 104 full text," accessed January 3, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Colorado Secretary of State, "2019-2020 Initiative Filings, Agendas & Results," accessed January 3, 2020
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Results for Proposed Initiative #104," accessed January 3, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ On May 17, 2020, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed Executive Order D 2020 065, which temporarily suspended the state law requiring signatures to be submitted six months after ballot language finalization. Under the order, signatures for 2020 Colorado initiatives were due by August 3, 2020.
- ↑ Colorado Governor Jared Polis, "Gov. Polis Signs Executive Orders to Protect Access to Ballot & Ensure Elections Can Proceed Safely," accessed May 18, 2020
- ↑ Colorado Concern, "Lawsuit against Polis' executive order," accessed May 19, 2020
- ↑ Denver Post, "Colorado group seeking to ban late-term abortions sues over governor’s order," accessed May 22, 2020
- ↑ Reporter Herald', "Court upholds Colorado Governor Polis’ power to change ballot initiative rules," accessed May 29, 2020
- ↑ Colorado Politics, "Colorado Supreme Court to hear challenge to Polis order on petition-gathering," accessed June 12, 2020
- ↑ Fort Morgan Times, "Colorado Supreme Court rules against Polis on signatures for ballot measures," accessed July 1, 2020
 |
State of Colorado Denver (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
