How to run in Colorado, 2028
What it takes to get on Colorado's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or President, from the state's election office and laws.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
Getting on the Colorado ballot
| Where to file | Colorado Secretary of State, Attention: Ballot Access, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 (ballot.access@coloradosos.gov for assembly forms). |
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| When | Primary election: last Tuesday in June (C.R.S. 1-1-104(32)), June 27, 2028. Major-party petitions: circulation begins the first business day in January (January 3, 2028) and petitions are due by close of business on the third Tuesday in March or the 75th day after the first business day in January, whichever is later (C.R.S. 1-4-801(5)): March 21, 2028. Party assemblies must be held no later than 73 days before the primary (by April 15, 2028); assembly designation forms are due within four days after the assembly adjourns. Unaffiliated candidates: circulation begins 173 days before the general election (May 18, 2028) and the petition is due by 5:00 p.m. on the 117th day before the general election (July 13, 2028) (C.R.S. 1-4-802). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Major-party candidates reach the primary ballot either by (a) party assembly designation, with at least 30% of assembly delegate votes (written notice to the party chair at least 30 days before the assembly unless party rules differ; certificate of designation and candidate acceptance form filed with the SOS), or (b) petition: request an SOS-generated petition format, circulate after approval, and hand-deliver the completed petition with a notarized Candidate Acceptance of Petition Nomination form. A candidate who received less than 10% of the vote at the party assembly cannot then petition for the same office. Party candidates must be affiliated with the party by the first business day in January of the election year. All candidates submit an audio recording of their name. Unaffiliated candidates must be registered unaffiliated by the first business day in January and petition directly onto the general election ballot. Federal candidates file campaign finance reports with the FEC. Candidates may optionally submit a voluntary term limits declaration. |
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| Fee | No filing fee listed. |
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| Petition instead | Major party: 1,500 signatures or 10% of the votes cast in the district's previous primary for that office, whichever is less; signers must be affiliated with the party for at least 22 days and live in the district (unaffiliated voters may not sign); one petition per office per signer. Minor party: 1,500 or 2.5% of votes cast for the office in the most recent general election, whichever is less. Unaffiliated: 1,500 or 2.5% of votes cast for all candidates for the office in the most recent general election, whichever is less; any eligible elector in the district may sign. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
U.S. Senate
Who can run
- At least 30 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
- Living in the state when elected
Getting on the Colorado ballot
| Where to file | Colorado Secretary of State, Attention: Ballot Access, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 (ballot.access@coloradosos.gov for assembly forms). |
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| When | Primary election: last Tuesday in June (C.R.S. 1-1-104(32)), June 27, 2028. Major-party petitions: circulation begins the first business day in January (January 3, 2028) and petitions are due by close of business on the third Tuesday in March or the 75th day after the first business day in January, whichever is later (C.R.S. 1-4-801(5)): March 21, 2028. Party assemblies must be held no later than 73 days before the primary (by April 15, 2028); assembly designation forms are due within four days after the assembly adjourns. Unaffiliated candidates: circulation begins 173 days before the general election (May 18, 2028) and the petition is due by 5:00 p.m. on the 117th day before the general election (July 13, 2028) (C.R.S. 1-4-802). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Major-party candidates reach the primary ballot either by (a) party assembly designation, with at least 30% of assembly delegate votes (written notice to the party chair at least 30 days before the assembly unless party rules differ; certificate of designation and candidate acceptance form filed with the SOS), or (b) petition: request an SOS-generated petition format, circulate after approval, and hand-deliver the completed petition with a notarized Candidate Acceptance of Petition Nomination form. A candidate who received less than 10% of the vote at the party assembly cannot then petition for the same office. Party candidates must be affiliated with the party by the first business day in January of the election year. All candidates submit an audio recording of their name. Unaffiliated candidates must be registered unaffiliated by the first business day in January and petition directly onto the general election ballot. Federal candidates file campaign finance reports with the FEC. Candidates may optionally submit a voluntary term limits declaration. |
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| Fee | No filing fee listed. |
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| Petition instead | Major party: 1,500 signatures from each congressional district; signers must be affiliated with the party for at least 22 days (unaffiliated voters may not sign). Minor party: 1,000 per congressional district. Unaffiliated: 1,000 per congressional district; any eligible elector may sign. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · Colorado's 2028 Senate race
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on Colorado's presidential primary ballot
| How | Presidential primary for major parties (those that received at least 20% of the Colorado presidential vote last time). A bona fide candidate seeking a major party's nomination under party rules files with the Secretary of State a notarized Major Party Candidate Statement of Intent for Presidential Primary, together with either a nonrefundable $500 filing fee or a petition signed by at least 5,000 eligible electors affiliated with the candidate's party (C.R.S. 1-4-1204(1)). The SOS will not certify a candidate unless the state party has approved the candidate as bona fide on the State Party Approval form, which is submitted with the statement of intent. An audio recording of the candidate's name is also due. The SOS certifies the ballot names no later than 60 days before the primary; a qualified person may ask to be removed by affidavit up to 65 days before. |
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| Where | Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division, Attention: Ballot Access, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290. |
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| When | Statement of intent, party approval, and fee or petition due no later than 85 days before the presidential primary (C.R.S. 1-4-1204(1)(c)). The primary date is a Tuesday designated by the governor, in consultation with the SOS, no later than September 1, 2027, and no later than the third Tuesday in March 2028 (March 21, 2028) (C.R.S. 1-4-1203(1)). The 2028 date had not been designated when checked, so the deadline cannot yet be computed. (For 2024 the primary was March 5, 2024 and the deadline December 11, 2023.) (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | $500 nonrefundable, payable to the Colorado Department of State (or petition instead). |
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| Petition | Alternative to the fee: at least 5,000 eligible electors affiliated with the candidate's party who reside in Colorado (must meet parts 8 and 9 of article 4). |
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Sources: coloradosos.gov
Running as an independent in November
| How | Unaffiliated petition nomination for President and Vice President as joint candidates (C.R.S. 1-4-802). The candidate first gives the SOS the Presidential Electors' Acceptance of Nomination form for the 10 presidential electors (their names are printed on the petition), and the SOS must approve the petition format before circulation. The petition must carry at least 1,500 signatures in each of Colorado's 8 congressional districts (12,000 total) from registered voters who have not signed another candidate's petition for the office. Filed with notarized Unaffiliated Candidate Acceptance of Petition Nomination forms for both President and Vice President, plus an audio recording of each name. The SOS verifies signatures; there are cure periods (5 days for circulator affidavits, 3 days for signature mismatches) and a 5-day protest window after a sufficiency statement. |
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| Where | Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division, Attention: Ballot Access, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 (hand delivery). |
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| When | Circulation may begin on the 173rd day before the general election, Thursday, May 18, 2028 (C.R.S. 1-4-802(1)(d)(I)); petition and acceptance forms due by 3:00 p.m. on the 117th day before, Thursday, July 13, 2028 (C.R.S. 1-4-802(1)(f)(I); the statute text says 5 p.m., the SOS page says 3:00 p.m.). Audio recordings also due by the 117th day. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated for the petition route. |
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| Petition | 1,500 signatures in each of 8 congressional districts (12,000 total) (C.R.S. 1-4-802(1)(c)(I)). |
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| Also | The running mate must be on the petition (joint candidates) and the 10-elector slate must be named before the petition format is approved, so both are required at filing. Statute: C.R.S. 1-4-802(1)(b). |
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Sources: PresidentPetition (coloradosos.gov)
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with Colorado's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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