SB17-209 Summary

• Requires designated election officials to determine candidate qualifications based on residency requirements and deny ballot access to unqualified candidates, with voter registration records serving as prima facie evidence of compliance.

• Changes party petition circulation start dates from the first Monday in February to the third Tuesday in January, with filing deadline moved to the third Tuesday in March.

• Allows school district director nomination petitions to designate or appoint eligible electors on the petition itself to fill vacancies in nominations.

• Reorganizes and expands vacancy-filling procedures for candidate nominations across multiple timeframes (before primary ballots mail, during primary voting period, between primary and general election, and during general election voting period) with specific notice and quorum requirements for vacancy committees.

• Adds five-calendar-day cure period for major and minor party candidates to correct circulator affidavit errors identified by the Secretary of State during petition review.