The Green Papers: Colorado State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2020 Census: 5,782,171 (1.74% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 10 (1.86% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 8 (1.84% of 435)
2010 Census: 5,044,930 (1.63% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 9 (1.67% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 7 (1.61% of 435)
Capital: Denver

Current Colorado Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Colorado
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 28 February 1861. 12 Stat. 172: carved from portions of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Utah Territories
Admitted to the Union as a State: 1 August 1876 upon Proclamation by President Ulysses S. Grant (19 Stat. 665). (Earlier, an Act of Admission for Colorado- under the 1864 Enabling Act- had been twice vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, on 15 May 1866 and 28 January 1867)
The 38th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: WEST
Region: Intermountain
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 3 March 1875 [18 Stat. 474: authorizing formation of a State government and Admission thereafter. (A previous Enabling Act [13 Stat. 32]- merely authorizing formation of a State government- had been passed by Congress, 21 March 1864, but was mooted with the two vetoes of President Andrew Johnson re: Colorado's Admission)]
- 1st (1876-) [Adopted: 14 March 1876 Convention convened, 20 December 1875. (An earlier Convention, convened under authority of the 1864 Enabling Act in August 1865, had drafted a State Constitution mooted by President Andrew Johnson's two vetoes of Colorado's Admission), Ratified: 1 July 1876 effective upon Admission, 1 August 1876. (The earlier Constitution drafted in August 1865 had been ratified by the People on 5 September 1865)]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Elected on a ticket- and nominated- with the Governor
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (1861-1876) [as a Territory]
- General Assembly (1876--)

Upper House
- Council (1861-1876) [as a Territory]
- Senate (1876--)
Lower House
- House of Representatives (1861--) [as a Territory and a State]

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court (1876--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Court of Appeals (1891-1905) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Court of Appeals (1912-1915) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Court of Appeals (1970--) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]

General Trial Jurisdiction
- District Court (1876--) Constitutional Court [IN: district FOR: county]

Limited Jurisdiction
- Municipal Court Statutory Court [IN and FOR: municipality]
- Justices of the Peace (1876-1965) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: precinct]
- County Court (1965--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county]
Special Jurisdiction
- Criminal Court (1876--) Constitutional Court [FOR: county]
- County Court (1876-1965) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county]
- Denver Juvenile Court (1965--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: City and County of Denver]
- Denver Probate Court (1965--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: City and County of Denver]

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - precinct [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Precincts were, at one time, the unit associated with Justices of the Peace]

Incorporated Municipalities All States
- City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 2,000 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Council;
  Council-Manager]

Localities All States
- Colorado Civil Divisions and Municipalities

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Colorado Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- (1876-1878) the dates of the first two elections were set by the CO Constitution as the 1st Tuesday of October; beginning in 1880, the date of General Elections in COLORADO could be set by statute.
- (1880--) biennial: Tuesday next after 1st Monday of November of even-numbered years.
  [CO Revised Statutes 1-4-201 (as authorized by the revised Article VII, Section 7 of the CO Constitution which states that the date of the General Election "shall be held on such day as prescribed by law")]
Presidential Primary All States
- Friday next after 1st Tuesday in March of Presidential Election years
  [CO Revised Statutes 1-4-1202(1)]
- (2011-2019) ... the precinct caucuses shall be held on the first Tuesday in March ... [CO Revised Statutes 1-3-102 (1) (a) (I)]
- (2020--) In the 2016 general election, voters approved Proposition 107 which restores the presidential primary election. SB 17-305 1-4-1203: "A presidential primary election shall be held on a Tuesday on a date designated by the governor. The date selected for the primary must be no earlier than the date the national rules of the major political parties provide for state delegations to the party's national convention to be allocated without penalty and not later than the third Tuesday in March"
State Primary All States
- (--2011) 2nd Tuesday in August of even-numbered years
  [CO Revised Statutes 1-4-101(1)]
- (2011--) ... a primary election shall be held ... on the last Tuesday in June of even-numbered years ... [CO Revised Statutes 1-4-101(1)]
Polling times All States
- Polls open: 7 AM local time
  Polls close: 7 PM local time
  [CO Revised Statutes 1-7-101]
  10 May 2013 update: Colorado will vote mostly by mail.

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State and Local Government Outline

Modified .