Amendment K: Modify election deadlines, explained

It takes around 125,000 valid signatures to get an initiative on the statewide ballot. The state constitution currently requires those petitions to be submitted to the Secretary of State at least three months before the general election (this year that date was Aug. 5). The new deadline would be three months and one week before the election. The same would hold true for Declarations of Intent from judges and justices seeking retention.

When it comes to referendum petitions — these are efforts to ask Colorado voters to overturn a law passed by the state legislature — signatures are due within 90 days of the end of the legislative session. The amendment would require submission within 83 days of adjournment.

The amendment also changes the timeline for public notice of statewide ballot questions. The legislature’s non-partisan research arm is required to publish the text and title of ballot measures in newspapers around the state at least 15 days before the election. If Amendment K passes, they’ll have to publish at least 45 days before the vote.

The legislature referred Amendment K to the ballot nearly unanimously; there was no opposition in the senate and just a single no vote in the House.




https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/05/vg-2024-amendment-k-modify-election-deadlines-explained/