The Libertarian Party of Colorado Vacancy Committee met August 29 and nominated Sean Vadney for Secretary of State. Party counsel, Party representatives, and Vadney will file the vacancy paperwork at the Colorado Secretary of State’s office on Monday, August 31, at 11:00am. Press is invited.
If the Secretary of State’s office refuses to place Vadney on the November ballot due to an interpretation of the law that would discriminate against the Libertarian Party of Colorado while privileging the major parties, the Party’s only recourse may be to take legal action. The current election law regarding filling candidate vacancies is different for minor political parties compared to major political parties. The law favors the major political parties by allowing them more time to fill candidate vacancies.
At the state convention, Alex Astley and Sean Vadney each earned more than 30 percent of the vote, forcing a Libertarian primary. Astley won the primary and then last week he withdrew his candidacy. The Libertarian Party wants to fill the vacancy, but election laws may not allow this to happen for a minor political party. The party may be left with only one recourse – take legal action to get a candidate on the ballot and to push for a change in the election law to make it fair and consistent for all candidates.