DENVER, CO — A Denver District Court judge has ordered the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to place Libertarian candidate Sean Vadney on the November general election ballot for Secretary of State. The ruling resolves a legal dispute after the Secretary of State’s Office initially rejected Vadney’s candidate designation paperwork following the withdrawal of the party’s previous nominee.

The legal action ended up arising after Alex Astley, who won the Libertarian primary election in June, submitted a notarized statement of withdrawal on August 26, 2026. The Libertarian Party of Colorado subsequently met and selected Vadney to fill the vacancy, but state election officials denied the filing because Astley’s withdrawal occurred 69 days before the election, missing the 70-day deadline set by state law by one day.

In an order issued September 4, 2026, District Court Judge Adam J. Espinosa ruled in favor of Vadney, determining that the statutory deadline is a procedural scheduling requirement rather than a core candidate qualification threshold. The court held that the standard of substantial compliance applied to the election code, noting that the single-day delay would not prevent election officials from carrying out their statutory duties regarding ballot preparation.

Under the court order, Secretary of State Jena Griswold must forthwith include Vadney on the general election ballot. The decision, if no further challenges ensue, may ensure that Libertarian Party voters will have a candidate representing their party in the upcoming election for Colorado Secretary of State after a period of turmoil in the state party.