Handbook·Elections

Running for office in Colorado

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

This page covers what's specific to Colorado on top of the general guide to filing for local office.

Filing in Colorado

Colorado runs a distinctive dual-track system for partisan office. Major-party candidates for state legislature can qualify for the primary ballot either by winning at least 30 percent of delegate votes at their party's assembly, or by collecting petition signatures, and some candidates pursue both at once as a hedge. Unaffiliated and minor-party candidates must use the petition path only. Municipal elections are typically nonpartisan and run under each city's own municipal code rather than the state assembly/petition system, so city council candidates should start with their municipal clerk. County office candidates, such as commissioner, petition through the county clerk and recorder, with district residency rules for signers on district-based seats.

Deadlines and numbers

  • State House/Senate petitions: 1,000 valid signatures
  • County commissioner petitions: the lesser of 1,000 signatures or 10 percent of the party's primary vote in that subdivision (major party), or 2 percent of the last general election vote for that office (unaffiliated)
  • 2026 petition circulation opens: January 2, 2026
  • 2026 major-party petition deadline: March 18, 2026
  • 2026 unaffiliated petition deadline: 117 days before the November 3, 2026 general election
  • 2026 primary election: June 30, 2026

The dossier could not confirm exact municipal filing fee amounts, which vary by home-rule city, or survey every nonpartisan municipal code. Route both to /engage or your municipal clerk.

Where to go