Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Colorado

Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
Ballot access for presidential candidates
List of political parties in the United States
Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Colorado, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.

HIGHLIGHTS

In Colorado, major parties nominate presidential candidates via primaries. Candidates can either submit a petition or pay a filing fee to qualify. Candidates affiliated with minor political parties recognized by the state can attain ballot access through nomination at a party convention. An independent candidate may submit a petition to get on the general election ballot. A write-in candidate must file an affidavit of intent in order to have his or her votes counted.

See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

See also: Important dates in the 2024 presidential race

2024

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Colorado in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Colorado, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Colorado, 2024
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Colorado	Major parties	5,000	Fixed by statute	$500.00	Fixed by statute	12/11/2023	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Colorado, 2024
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Colorado	12,000	Fixed by statute	N/A	N/A	7/11/24	Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2020

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Colorado in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Colorado, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Colorado, 2020
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Colorado	Major parties	5,000	Fixed by statute	$500.00	Fixed by statute	12/9/2019	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Colorado, 2020
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Colorado	5,000	Fixed by statute	$1,000.00	Fixed by statute	7/9/2020 (qualifying by petition) 8/5/2020 (qualifying by fee)	Source

2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Colorado for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.

Legend:      Ballot access     Election date

Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
January 25, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for Democratic caucuses
March 1, 2016	Election date	Democratic and Republican caucuses
August 10, 2016	Ballot access	Independent candidate filing deadline
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election

Qualifications

Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:

“	No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.	”
—United States Constitution

Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:

“	The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.	”
—United States Constitution

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:

“	No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.	”
—United States Constitution

Party nomination processes

See also: Primary election and Caucus

Hover over the terms below to display definitions.

Ballot access laws

Primary election

Caucus

Delegate

A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.

The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.

In Colorado, state-qualified major parties conduct presidential preference primaries. A qualified major party is defined as a party that ran a candidate in the last gubernatorial election who received at least 10% of the votes cast. To qualify for placement on a party's presidential primary ballot, a candidate must submit a petition or filing fee to the secretary of state at least 85 days before the presidential primary election.

General election requirements

The president is elected by the Electoral College, which comprises 538 electors from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:

“	On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.	”
—The Office of the Federal Register

Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."

Colorado was allocated ten electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, one more than it was allocated in the 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Types of political entities

In Colorado, there are three types of political entities: major parties, minor parties, and qualified political organizations. A major party is defined as any party whose candidate for governor received at least 10 percent of the total votes cast for that office in the most recent general election. A minor party is defined as any party whose candidate for a statewide office received at least 1 percent of the vote for that office in either of the two most recent general elections (alternatively, a minor party is defined as a party that has registered at least 1,000 voters prior to July 1 before either of the last two elections). A qualified political organization is defined as "an organization that has placed a candidate for a congressional district or statewide office on the ballot at a congressional vacancy or general election."

Major and minor parties nominate their presidential candidates by convention (a minor party candidate may also petition for placement on the general election ballot). Qualified political organization candidates must petition for placement on the general election ballot.

To learn more about political party formation processes in Colorado, see this page.

Major and minor parties

A political party must submit a certificate of nomination to the Colorado Secretary of State in order to have the name of the party's candidate printed on the general election ballot. The certificate of nomination must include the names of party's candidates for president, vice president, and presidential electors. The certificate of nomination must be submitted no later than 60 days prior to the election.

Independent and qualified political organization candidates

An independent or qualified political organization candidate in Colorado may gain access to the general election ballot by petitioning for ballot placement. At least 5,000 eligible voters must sign the petition. A candidate who qualifies by submitting a petition must submit that petition by no later than 3:00 p.m. on the 117th day preceding the general election.

Running for multiple offices

Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. Colorado state law stipulates that "no person is eligible to be a candidate for more than one office at one time." The Elections Division of the Colorado State Department has noted, however, that it is not clear whether this prohibition applies to candidates for federal office.

Sore loser laws

See also: Sore loser laws for presidential candidates

Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Under Colorado state law, "no person who has been defeated as a candidate in a primary election shall be eligible for election to the same office by ballot or as a write-in candidate in the next general election."

Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.

Write-in requirements

A write-in candidate for the presidency must file an affidavit of intent in order to have his or her votes tallied. This affidavit must be filed with the Colorado Secretary of State by close of business on the 110th day before the general election.

Historical information

See also: Historical signature requirements for independent and minor party presidential candidates

According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Colorado, there were no such instances during this period. See this article for more information.

Campaign finance requirements

See also: Campaign finance requirements in Colorado

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.

Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023

Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."

For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$35,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019

Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015

Election agencies

The Federal Election Commission is the only agency authorized to regulate campaign financing for federal candidates.

Federal Election Commission

1050 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20463

Telephone: 800-424-9530

Email: info@fec.gov

Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division

1700 Broadway, Suite 550

Denver, Colorado 80290

Telephone: 303-894-2200

Email: elections@coloradosos.gov

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Colorado
• Presidential election, 2024
• Ballot access for presidential candidates

External links

• Federal Election Commission