Current Colorado election law does not permit anyone to get on a presidential primary ballot unless that candidate has qualified for primary season matching funds. But, a portion of the omnibus election law bill, HB 19-1278, now pending in the House, would delete that requirement. The bill has already passed the State Senate.
Assuming that part of the bill is signed into law, presidential primary candidates would merely need to pay $500, or submit 5,000 signatures. Only parties that polled 20% of the vote in the last presidential election may have presidential primaries in Colorado. These days, virtually no Democratic or Republican presidential candidate files for primary season matching funds. Individuals who qualify for primary season matching funds are handicapped by strict expenditure limits within each of the various states, so presidential candidates avoid qualifying.
Colorado didn’t have presidential primaries in 2016. The 2017 law that drew up the rules for presidential primary ballot access included the primary season matching fund provision, but now legislators are aware of how impractical that idea is.
On the eve of Governor Jared Polis’ expected signing of House Bill 1278, which would keep most independent candidates off of Colorado’s election ballot, representatives of minor political parties were invited to stand silently behind Governor Polis (D) and Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) for the announcement of Colorado’s presidential primary date.
Representatives of the Democratic Party, Republican Party, Unity Party, the Approval Voting Party, and the American Constitution Party attended the press conference. In his announcement, Governor Polis incorrectly stated that the Libertarian Party and the Green Party will hold presidential primaries in Colorado in 2020. In fact, they are not eligible under the law.
Only parties that polled 20% of the vote in the last presidential election may have presidential primaries in Colorado. (Democrats and Republicans) Hence, it is unclear why Governor Polis’ office invited representatives of minor political parties to participate in his presidential primary photo opportunity today.
The Approval Voting Party will qualify as a recognized political party with ballot status in Colorado if at least one thousand Colorado voters affiliate with the party within the coming year. As of April 1, 585 Colorado voters were affiliated with the Approval Voting Party.