September 2024 Coloradan parliamentary election

September 2024 Coloradan parliamentary election
All 5 seats in the General Assembly; 3 seats needed for a majority
Registered	32
Turnout	84.38% (▲ 11.65 pp)
President of the General Assembly before election; Johann von Colorado; Colorado	Elected President of the General Assembly ; Johann von Colorado; Colorado

The September 2024 Coloradan parliamentary election was held on 4 September 2024, to elect the 5 members of the second General Assembly.

Background

In October 2023, an institutional referendum was held in which voters approved transitioning the Grand Duchy of Colorado into the Republic of Colorado. From 29 October 2023 to 17 February 2024, the Republic of Colorado was governed under a charter on temporary provisions and a transitional government led by Friedrich von Colorado. On 17 February 2024, the Republican Constitution was ratified and adopted by the constitutional assembly.

In March 2024, the country held its first parliamentary and presidential elections. The Colorado Party, which had established itself as the dominant political force since the founding of the Republic, enshrined its position in the Republican Constitution as the sole legal political party. As a result, it was the only party to contest both elections, winning all seven seats in the General Assembly and securing the presidency.

Following the presidential election, the newly elected government under Friedrich von Colorado pledged to reform the electoral system, including the establishment of an electoral court and the introduction of provisions allowing for the formation of other political parties within the framework of the Republican Constitution.

Electoral system

According to the Republican Constitution, the General Assembly must consist of no fewer than 5 seats and no more than 9 seats. In the March 2024 parliamentary election, 7 seats were contested. In the lead-up to the September 2024 parliamentary election, it was announced that 5 seats would be up for election instead.

In the lead-up to the Republic of Colorado's first parliamentary election, the transitional government implemented a referendum-style system for selecting members of the General Assembly. Under this system, voters were presented with a ballot listing the Colorado Party's candidates. They could choose to either approve or reject the list by voting "Yes" or "No."

Theoretically, if the "No" option had won, the election would have been repeated with the admission of other electoral lists.

Results

A total of 27 out of 32 registered voters participated, resulting in an 84.38% turnout, an increase of 11.65% compared to the March 2024 election. Of these, 22 voters (81.48%) approved the Colorado Party's proposed list of candidates, while 5 voters (18.52%) rejected the list.

As in the March 2024 parliamentary election, the Colorado Party's list received overwhelming support. However, unlike the previous election, a group of voters campaigned against the proposed list as a protest against the electoral system, rather than opposition to the candidates themselves.



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Colorado	22	81.48	5	0
Against		5	18.52	–	–
Total		27	100.00	5	0

Valid votes		27	100.00
Invalid/blank votes		0	0.00
Total votes		27	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		32	84.38

Elected members

Niclas Kirschenbaum
Franzi von Colorado
Johann von Colorado
Sabina von Colorado
Franziska von Huffertz

Aftermath

Following the election, there were renewed calls for electoral reforms, particularly regarding the electoral system. Some proponents advocated for proportional representation and a shift to a multi-party democracy, while others suggested only replacing the referendum system with a block voting method.

The incumbent government, led by Friedrich von Colorado, reaffirmed its commitment to implementing changes to the electoral system.