Colorado Judicial Elections

Judges in Colorado stand for retention in even-numbered years. Newly appointed judges serve a provisional term of at least two years before being required to run for retention in the next general election.^[1]

Colorado is one of eight states that use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench without using another type of election as an initial selection method. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

Supreme Court	Court of Appeals	District Court	County Courts
Retention election - 10 year terms	Retention election - Eight-year terms	Retention election - six-year terms	Retention election - Four-year terms

Elections[edit]

Election rules[edit]

Retention election[edit]

Judges in Colorado stand for retention at the end of each term. These elections are held during the November general election in even-numbered years. In retention elections, judges do not compete against another candidate, but voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice whether to keep the justice in office for another term.

Filing deadline[edit]

Justices and judges must file a declaration of candidacy in the between three and six months before the general election.^[2]

Judicial performance evaluation[edit]

Evaluation procedures for the state's judges were created by statute, in 1988, by the Colorado General Assembly. The goal was to provide fair, responsible and constructive evaluations of trial and appellate judges and justices which voters could use when voting for judges running for retention. Judges are evaluated in the following categories: integrity, legal knowledge, communication skills, judicial temperament, administrative performance and service to the legal profession and public.^[3]

History[edit]

Judges in Colorado were elected by the people until 1966. In this year, a constitutional amendment changed the election method to the current process, where judges are nominated by a judicial nominating commission, appointed by the governor, and participate in retention elections at least two years after appointment. Pushes for this merit method began as early as 1947 by the Colorado Bar Association.^[4]

External links[edit]

American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Colorado," accessed April 28, 2014

Footnotes[edit]

Colorado courts

Federal courts:

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Colorado • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Colorado

State courts:

Colorado Supreme Court • Colorado Court of Appeals • Colorado District Courts • Colorado County Courts • Denver Probate Court • Denver Juvenile Court • Colorado Municipal Courts • Colorado Water Courts

State resources:

Courts in Colorado • Colorado judicial elections • Judicial selection in Colorado

[1] State of Colorado, Judicial Branch, "Judicial Nominating Commissions," accessed September 20, 2013

[2] Colorado Legal Resources, "Colorado Constitution, Article VI, Section 25," accessed April 28, 2014

[3] Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, "Home," accessed August 22, 2022

[4] American Judicature Society, "History of Reform Efforts: Colorado," accessed April 28, 2014

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