CITY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

• General Info:

Regular Municipal Election

The Regular Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.  All Council seats are at-large positions.  There are three seats up for election.  All three of these seats are four-year terms (term ending in November 2027).

 The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will be appointed by the Council at the Organizational Meeting.

Candidate Qualifications
To run for municipal office, a candidate must be a citizen of the United States, have resided in the City of Rifle for 1 year prior to the date of the election, and be a qualified elector as defined by the laws of the State of Colorado.  Candidates will be asked to submit two documents that prove the residency requirement in the City of Rifle.  Computer-generated bills (utility, insurance, health care, credit card, etc.) with the candidate’s name and physical address on them (no P.O. Boxes),  pay stubs, vehicle registrations, mortgage/lease/ or rental documents are all acceptable proof of residency examples.  Additionally, a petition of nomination must be filed with the City Clerk.

Nomination Petitions
A candidate for municipal office is required to submit a nomination petition containing 15 signatures of registered electors.  The signatures must come from registered electors within the City of Rifle. 

Candidates may begin to circulate nomination petitions on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. They must be filed with the City Clerk’s office prior to the close of business on Friday, September 1, 2023.

Voting Eligibility

To vote in City of Rifle elections, you must be a citizen of the United States, be at least 18 years of age on or before the election, have resided in the city limits of Rifle at least 22 days before the election, and have registered to vote. Visit the Colorado Secretary of State's website to register to vote or to verify that your voter registration is accurate.

Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act

Candidates must file campaign finance reports with the City Clerk’s office as required by the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA). Failure to file the proper forms will result in the disqualification of a person as a candidate.

Ballot

Friday, September 8, 2023, is the last day for coordinating political subdivisions to certify ballot content.

Compensation of Elected Officials

Councilors are compensated $600 per month; the Mayor is compensated $950 per month. Council may also receive compensation in the form of travel reimbursement for attending meetings and conferences, meals for certain meetings, and payment of registration fees for meetings and conferences. A City vehicle is sometimes available for travel to such meetings

Mail Ballot Election

City Council has authorized a Coordinated Election with Garfield County for this Regular Municipal Election.  You can find more information regarding the schedule for this election here.

Watchers of Election

Candidates are allowed to appoint a watcher during the election. It is recommended that they contact the Garfield County Clerk, or they can go to the Secretary of State’s website at www.govotecolorado.gov to read FAQs about watcher qualifications.  Questions may be directed to Jean Alberico, Garfield County Clerk, at 970-384-3700 x 1820 regarding the processes involved and to obtain the correct paperwork that needs to be filed preferably by the Friday before the election, November 3, 2023.

Election Campaign Signs

It is up to each candidate to determine what type and how much campaigning he/she would like to do. Political signs are exempt from the regular sign permitting process in the Rifle Municipal Code, and may be installed for a period of not more than 60 days prior to the election, provided they meet the following provisions:

Temporary Political Campaign Signs

Signs with pertinent data, signs announcing candidates seeking public office with pertinent data, or signs relating to ballot issues, shall be allowed, subject to the following limitations:

• Residential district signs shall not exceed 3 square feet per face or 6 square feet total.
• In commercially zoned locations, the maximum sign area shall be 10 square feet for each sign face, or 20 square feet total.
• Such signs shall be placed no closer than 8 feet from the nearest pavement edge.
• All such signs shall be removed no later than 7 days after the election for which they are intended.

Home Rule Charter

Follow this link to a copy of the City of Rifle Home Rule Charter (PDF).