Campaign Finance

Here is information that municipal candidates, candidate committees, non candidate committees, and independent expenditure committees need to know to comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) and Colorado Constitutional Amendment 27, Campaign and Political Finance.

View the online Colorado Campaign and Political Finance Manual (PDF) published by the Colorado Secretary of State. The manual includes both the FCPA (Article 45, Title 1, Colorado Revised Statutes) and Amendment 27 (Article XXVIII, Colorado Constitution). Please take the Secretary’s suggestion on page 2 and start at the end of the manual, reading these 2 items first.

Colorado’s campaign and political finance laws require candidates and committees to file certain reports with the City Clerk’s office. These are the report forms that candidates and committees are most likely to use:

• All candidates must file the Candidate Affidavit (PDF). File the affidavit with the City Clerk’s office with your Nomination Petition. Note that by signing the affidavit, you are certifying that you are familiar with the provisions of the FCPA.
• All committees (candidate, political and issue) must register with the City Clerk before accepting or making any contributions.
• Campaign finance filings are due in the City Clerk’s office on the following dates:  October 17, 2023,  November 3, 2023, and December 7, 2023.
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  • If all you have spent is your own money, file the Statement of Personal Expenditures by a Candidate (PDF).
  • If you have accepted no contributions, or have expended no funds, file the Candidate Statement of Non-Receipt of Contributions or Non-Expenditure of Funds (PDF).
  • If you have accepted a contribution toward your campaign, you must create a separate bank account and register your Candidate Committee with the New Committee Registration Form (PDF). Your Committee must file the Report of Contributions and Expenditures (PDF).
• In addition, contributions of $1,000 or more received within 30 days before the election must be reported within 24 hours of receipt on the Notice of Major Contributor form (PDF).

Do not file with the secretary of state. All FCPA forms for municipal elections must be filed with the City Clerk.

Section 10(2)(a) of the Campaign Finance Act requires that the City Clerk impose a penalty of $50 per day if these forms are not filed by the close of business on the date they are due. Please be sure to file your reports on time.