WHAT IS THE CAUCUS/ASSEMBLY/CONVENTION PROCESS?
It is the legal process by which the citizens of Colorado choose and control the 2 major parties and their government.
In Colorado, the 2 major parties have most of the control over the designation and election processes for candidates for elected office, in effect controlling entry into local, state and national governments. Therefore, state election laws and statutes regulate how the 2 major parties conduct their business. The process creates a series of checks and balances to keep both the government and the political parties under the ultimate authority of the sovereign individual during the entire political process.
CONTINUE READING HERE
The state is divided into political districts. Each political district has legally elected officers from each of the 2 major parties. These officers are responsible for conducting their party’s business and delegating candidates for the primary ballot in their district. The principal function of a Political Party is to nominate partisan candidates to the ballot, and to help get those candidates elected to office. The party works to promote and elect their candidate in the general election. Elected officials are beholden to the people who helped put them in office, and they are to represent those people and their party’s platform as they make decisions and cast their votes. There are legal means for constituents to remove from office their party officers and people in political office, again confirming that the sovereign individual has authority over the parties and the government.
Click HERE for a chart with the basic caucus process.
Click HERE for a comprehensive 2022 CAUCUS FLOW CHART
The description of this process is for general reference only. For legal and more in-depth descriptions and for additional information about the Colorado Republican Party, see the Bylaws of the Colorado Republican State Central Committee and the Colorado Secretary of State’s Elections and Voting page.
Colorado’s partisan political divisions are:
The Precinct
The County (64 counties)
Judicial Districts (22 JD's)
State House Districts (65 HD’s)
State Senate Districts (35 SD’s)
US Congressional Districts (8 CD’s)
Colorado
United States of America
The whole process is basically a series of meetings where people are elected as representatives to the parties and to government, with the foundational meeting being the PRECINCT CAUCUSES. Your Precinct Number will determine which district meetings you’ll be eligible to attend. To find and understand your Precinct Number, click HERE.
IN EVEN YEARS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CHOOSE THEIR PARTISAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES:
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION. (Semi-open). 2024
PRECINCT CAUCUSES. March 1, 2022. Directed by County Parties for each Precinct.
Party members elect Precinct Committee People (PCP’s) and Delegates/Alternates, discuss candidates, vote on platform resolutions, and register as Election Judge or Poll Watcher.
Delegates selected at the Precinct Caucus will then attend County and District Assemblies.
COUNTY ASSEMBLIES. No earlier than March 7th (after precinct caucus takes place and no later than March 22nd – March 26th). Conducted by County Party Officers.
Candidate speeches. Alternates replace absent Delegates. Delegates designate candidates for the primary ballots for all open county seats, discuss and vote on platform resolutions, and elect Delegates/Alternates for Congressional District and State Assemblies.
JUDICIAL DISTRICT (JD) ASSEMBLIES. Before April 18, 2022. Conducted by JD Party Officers. Usually held in conjunction with the County Assembly. JD’s with borders in more than one county elect Delegates/Alternates for Multi-County JD meetings held later.
Absent Delegates are replaced by their Alternates. Delegates designate primary ballot candidates to all open District seats. The 22 JD seats are not up in 2022.
STATE HOUSE DISTRICT (HD) ASSEMBLIES. Before April 16, 2022. Conducted by HD Party officers. Usually held in conjunction with the County Assembly. HD’s with borders in more than one county elect Delegates/Alternates for Multi-County HD meetings held later.
Absent Delegates are replaced by their Alternates. Delegates designate primary ballot candidates to all open District seats. All 65 HD seats are open in 2022.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT (SD) ASSEMBLIES. Before April 16, 2022. Conducted by SD Party officers. Usually held in conjunction with the County Assembly. SD’s with borders in more than one county elect Delegates/Alternates for Multi-County SD meetings held later.
Absent Delegates are replaced by their Alternates. Delegates designate primary ballot candidates to all open District seats. These SD seats are open in 2022: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 35
US CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT (CD) ASSEMBLIES. March 26th – April 8th, 2022 (no earlier than 14 days before State Assembly). Conducted by CD Party officers. Held prior to State Assembly. Usually held in conjunction with the State Assembly. Absent Delegates are replaced by their Alternates. Delegates designate primary ballot candidates to all open District seats; Congressional Candidate, State Board of Education (SBoE), and CU Regents districts These seats are open in 2022: All 8 CD seats; SBoE Districts - At-Large and Districts 5, 6, & 8; CU Regent Districts - At-Large and Districts 1, 4, 5, & 8.
REPUBLICAN STATE ASSEMBLY. (Called "CONVENTION" in Presidential election years.) Saturday – April 9th, 2022, Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado Springs, CO).. Conducted by State Party officers. Absent Delegates are replaced by their Alternates. Delegates designate primary ballot candidate(s) for US Senate, elect a national committeewoman and national committeeman, (N/A in 2022 - Elect national delegates to attend the RNC Convention), approve Resolutions to constitute the Platform of the Colorado Republican Party, and conduct other business of the Republican Party. One US Senate seat is open.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION. 2024. Conducted by the Republican National Committee. Delegates will select the party's nominees for President and Vice President in the 2024 United States presidential election and vote to adopt a platform outlining the party's policy priorities and values.
COLORADO PRIMARY ELECTION. (Semi-open). Tuesday, June 28th, 2022
COLORADO GENERAL ELECTION. Tuesday, November 8th, 2022
These seats are open in 2022: US Senate; Governor; Secretary of State; Treasurer; Attorney General; All 8 CD seats; State Board of Education | At-Large, Dist. 5, 6, & 8; CU Regent | At-Large, Dist. 1, 4, 5, & 8; State Senate Dist. 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, 35; State House Dist. 1 - 65
IN ODD YEARS, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CHOOSE THEIR PARTY REPRESENTATIVES:
COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS. Conducted by county party officers.
PCP’s and other committee members elect officers for the county party (Chairman, Vice Chairman/men, Secretary) and elect Bonus Members to the Colorado State Party Central Committee. Officers and Bonus Members serve a two-year term and represent the county as voting members of the Party’s State Central Committee.
STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Conducted by the party officers of the SD or HD. Usually held in conjunction with the County Central Committee Meeting. HD’s and SD’s with borders in more than one county hold meetings at another time. Committee members elect officers for the SD or HD (Chairman, Vice Chairman/men, Secretary). Officers serve a two-year term, conduct the district’s party business and represent the district as non-voting members of the Party’s State Central Committee.
JUDICIAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Conducted by the party officers of the JD. Usually held in conjunction with the County Central Committee Meeting. JD’s with borders in more than one county hold meetings at another time. Members elect party officers for the district. Officers serve a two-year term, conduct the district’s party business and represent the district as non-voting members of the Party’s State Central Committee.
US CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT MEETING: Conducted by the party officers of the CD.
Usually held in conjunction with the State Central Committee Meeting. CD’s with borders in more than one county hold meetings at another time. Members elect party officers for the district. If the CD's bylaws don't provide for the Chairman to represent the CD to the Colorado State Party Executive Committee, a representative is elected.
COLORADO STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING: Conducted by the party officers of the State. Members elect officers for the State Party and vote on bylaws changes. (In odd years, they vote to stay in or opt out of the state-run semi-open primaries at a meeting held for that purpose.) County party chairmen elect representatives to the Colorado State Party Executive Committee.