CO HB1203

Counties with populations of 70,000 or more must have five county commissioners instead of the current option of three or five, eliminating the discretionary system currently in place

Covered counties must elect commissioners by one of two methods: five commissioners elected by district (each elected only by voters in that district), or five commissioners elected at-large using ranked choice voting

County commissioner boards must adopt a resolution by their first regularly scheduled meeting in 2027 presenting both election methods, then refer the resolution to voters at the next general election to choose their preferred method

Home rule counties that already elect more than half of their commissioners by district or using ranked choice voting are exempt from these requirements

The act takes effect August 12, 2026, unless a referendum petition is filed, in which case voter approval would be required at the November 2026 general election