Several elections canceled for lack of candidates

What if they planned an election and nobody came?

That’s what’s happened to several special districts this spring. Livermore, Crystal Lakes and Glacier View fire protection districts and the East Larimer County Water District have all canceled elections that had been scheduled for May 8.

The Town of Wellington also canceled the April 3 election for its town board.

In each instance, no more candidates declared their intention to run than there were open seats by the legal deadline. State law – specifically CRS 1-5-208(1.5) – allows municipalities and special districts to call off an election if the seats are not contested and there are no other questions on the ballot.

The statute actually says:

“If the only matter before the electors in a nonpartisan election is the election of persons to office and if, at the close of business on the sixty-third day before the election, there are not more candidates than offices to be filled at the election, including candidates filing affidavits of intent, the designated election official, if instructed by resolution of the governing body, shall cancel the election and declare the candidates elected.”

In the case of Wellington, that means that on April 10 meeting of the town board, the only declared candidates — Jack Brinkhoff, Reggie Kemp and Larry Noel — will be sworn in for four-year terms. Other districts will follow suit, swearing in the declared candidates at the first meeting of the board after the election would have taken place.