The City Clerk is the elections official for all regular and special elections in the City of Golden.
Regular municipal elections for the City of Golden are held on the first Tuesday in November in odd numbered years. Special elections may be called by ordinance of the City Council and may be held any time. Special elections are often coordinated with Jefferson County Elections but may be administered entirely by the Golden City Clerk, and are usually limited to consideration of ballot issues.
All municipal elections for elected officials are nonpartisan.
Who is on the City Council?
The Golden City Council includes seven members:
- A mayor elected at-large
- Four council members are elected from wards
- Two council members are elected from districts (each district is comprised of two wards, district one includes wards one and two and district two includes wards three and four)
The mayoral election is held every four years. The mayor and council members are elected to four-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms.
Municipal elections in Colorado are “nonpartisan,” meaning candidates do not run for election on a designated party ticket.
Voter Registration
Golden residents are encouraged to vote in every election. Here are the various ways to register to vote:
- Online at govotecolorado.com
- By Mail – Colorado Voter Registration Form
- At a local Department of Motor Vehicle facility
- In person at the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s office located at 3500 Illinois Street, Suite 1100, Golden, CO 80401, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
To be eligible to register to vote you must be a US citizen, at least 18 years old on or before Election Day, a resident of Colorado and at your present address for 22 days prior to an election.
The deadline to register to vote or change the address on a voter registration is now determined by the method voters choose to submit their registration.
If you want to receive a mail ballot, you need to be registered to vote by Monday, October 25, 2021, which is eight days before Election Day.
The General Elections are coordinated with Jefferson County elections and are mail ballot.
2021 Municipal Election
The 2021 Regular Municipal Election is November 2, 2021
Golden voters will be electing Councilors for Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the upcoming 2021 regular municipal election. All municipal elections for elected officials are nonpartisan.
Important Dates:
Tuesday, August 3, 8 a.m.
First day to begin circulating candidate nomination petitions
Monday, August 23
Last day to file/submit candidate nomination petitions to the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m.
Friday, October 15
Ballots mailed out
Monday, October 18
Ballot drop boxes open
Monday, October 25
Voter Service and Polling Centers open
For more information visit Jefferson County Elections
Visit Jeffco.us for election results.
Interested in running for City Council?
The officers to be elected in the 2021 Golden City Council election are Councilors for each of the four wards.
To run for office in the City of Golden you must meet the following requirements:
- Be a registered voter in the City of Golden
- Be a citizen of the United States for at least five years
- Be a resident of Golden for at least 12 consecutive months preceding the date of the election and a resident of the ward you wish to represent. Any person elected to office must continue to live within the ward from which he or she was elected throughout the term of office.
- City of Golden Wards and Districts Map
Candidates must declare their candidacy by submitting a candidate affidavit to the City Clerk’s Office (see Candidate Information below).
Each candidate for municipal office must circulate and submit a nomination petition to the City Clerk’s office containing 25 sufficient signatures. The nomination petition is available at the City Clerk’s Office beginning on the first day that petitions may be circulated.
Each City Council candidate’s petition must be signed by at least 25 registered electors who reside within the City for the office of Mayor, within the District for District Councilors and within the Ward for Ward Councilors. Candidates are encouraged to obtain more than the required 25 signatures.
Candidates should become familiar with the Golden Municipal Code, City Charter, and Campaign Finance Info.
Candidate Information
- A Candidate Affidavit must be submitted within 10 days after an individual becomes a candidate and before circulating any petitions. A person is a candidate for election if the person has publicly announced an intention to seek election to public office, or has received a contribution or made an expenditure in support of the candidacy.
- Candidate Committee Registration Form – A candidate committee consists of a person, including the candidate, or persons with the common purpose of receiving contributions and making expenditures under the authority of a candidate. Each candidate’s committee is required to register with the City Clerk before accepting contributions.
- Campaign Finance Reports – Each candidate’s committees is required to report to the City Clerk all contributions. All reports must be submitted on forms provided by the City Clerk.
If you have any questions, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 303-384-8014.
All election documents submitted to the City of Golden are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act and may be open to public inspection, except as provided in the act itself (C.R.S. 24-72-201 to 24-72-309).
Signs
Candidates must comply with the City of Golden guidelines related to signs.
