Colorado Judge Allows Libertarian Party to Replace Secretary of State Candidate After Late Withdrawal
A Denver District Judge has ruled that the Libertarian Party of Colorado can replace its secretary of state candidate on the November ballot, despite the original candidate, Alex Astley, withdrawing a day after the official deadline. Astley dropped out on August 26, 69 days before the election, missing the 70-day cutoff for minor party candidate replacement. However, the party met the subsequent deadline of 64 days before the election to request a replacement. The Secretary of State’s Office initially denied the request due to Astley's late withdrawal, leading both the Libertarians and the Secretary of State's Office to seek a judicial decision. Judge Adam J. Espinosa determined that the party had substantially complied with election rules and that adding the replacement candidate, Sean Vadney, would not hinder the Secretary of State’s Office in preparing the ballot. This ruling ensures that Colorado's approximately 33,000 active Libertarian voters will have their preferred candidate on the ballot, alignin... 
