The Election Commission

Key Facts

Who They Are

On May 21, 2026, the Boulder County District Court appointed the following six Niwot residents as Election Commissioners for the Home Rule Incorporation Election:

• Lois Adamson
• Vicky Dorvee
• Susan Fischer
• Paula Hemenway
• Robert Olsen
• Amanda Walker

The commissioners filed their affidavits of intent to serve on May 29 and convened for the first time on June 8, 2026.

What They Do

Niwot does not yet have a municipal clerk or a governing body — both of those are created by incorporation, not before it. Colorado’s home rule incorporation statute solves that chicken-and-egg problem by assigning the clerk’s and governing body’s functions to court-appointed Election Commissioners “to the extent practicable” (C.R.S. §31-2-209). In practice, that means the Commission is responsible for:

• Calling the election — formally setting the date for the incorporation and charter commission vote.
• Administering the charter commission candidate process — under C.R.S. §31-2-211, each of the nine charter commissioner candidates must qualify by filing a nomination petition signed by at least 25 registered electors residing in the proposed boundary. The Commission oversees this process.
• Certifying ballot content — approving the form and content of the questions and candidate list that will appear on the November 3 ballot.
• Coordinating with the Boulder County Clerk — entering into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) so that the County Clerk & Recorder, who runs the November coordinated election, also administers Niwot’s ballot questions and candidate races.
• Reporting results to the court — certifying the canvassed results back to the Boulder County District Court, which then enters an order of incorporation if the measure passes.

The Commission’s role is procedural and neutral. They do not take a position on whether Niwot should incorporate. They do not draft the charter — that is the job of the nine charter commissioners elected on November 3. Their job is to make sure the election itself is run fairly, lawfully, and on schedule.

Meetings

Independent of the Committee

It is worth saying plainly: the Election Commission and the Niwot Incorporation Committee are two different things. The Committee is a group of resident volunteers who advocate for incorporation, publish research, and run this website. The Commission is a court-appointed, statutorily defined body that administers the election. They have separate roles, separate authority, and separate accountability.

That separation is by design. It is the same structure used in every Colorado home rule incorporation election, and it is the reason voters can have confidence in the result on November 3 regardless of how the campaign on either side is run.

Running for Charter Commissioner

If incorporation passes, the nine charter commissioners elected on the same ballot will draft Niwot’s home rule charter — the foundational document of the new town. Candidate nomination petitions are due in late August (final deadline to be confirmed by the Commission). Each candidate needs at least 25 elector signatures from within the proposed boundary. If you may be interested in running, email contact@niwot.town and we will keep you informed about the petition process and timing as the Commission finalizes it.

Deep Reading

• Updates & Public NoticesFull record of Election Commission meeting notices and other public announcements.
• Our StoryHow the petition reached the District Court — the timeline from June 2025 to the court’s May 21, 2026 order.
• Governance & Your Seat at the TableWhat Niwot gains structurally if voters approve incorporation on November 3.