Colorado lawmakers back new election requirements for officials appointed to vacant seats
Colorado lawmakers on Monday backed a pair of bills to reform the much-maligned process that helped seat nearly a quarter of the legislature, while rejecting a competing proposal that would’ve required changing the state constitution.
The two favored bills, which cleared an initial House committee, are essentially a package aimed at changing the vacancy-filling process: House Bill 1315 would allow lawmakers appointed via a vacancy committee to serve no more than a full session in the Capitol before standing for an election, while House Bill 1319 would enact similar election parameters for vacancy-appointed commissioners in large counties.
Both bills are bipartisan, and they passed the House’s State, Civic, Military and Veteran Affairs Committee in succession.
The often-criticized vacancy committee process is used when an elected official leaves office early. That official’s party then convenes a committee of party officials and volunteers to elect a new representative.
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/04/08/colorado-legislature-vacancy-committees-special-elections-democracy/