Opinion ID: 2521384
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Setting of Ballot 3D's Title

Text: In this case, the School Board discussed the language of the ballot title at a public meeting held on July 11, 2001. Cacioppo was at that meeting. The School Board gave final approval to the language of the ballot title at the following public meeting, held on August 8, 2001.; it passed a resolution by majority vote authorizing the ballot issue as worded. Several residents of Eagle County attended that meeting, including Cacioppo. The District printed a copy of the ballot title in the next days edition of the local newspaper. As explained at trial, the School Board's approval of the ballot title set into motion the work of the District and the Eagle County Clerk and Recorder in finalizing an election calendar listing all of the important dates, including the September 12, 2001, certification deadline. Because the approval was the last, final action of the school board with regard to the ballot title, we conclude that such action constituted the fixing of the ballot title by the local legislative body. [8] Under section 1-11-203.5, the event that triggers the five-day limitation for ballot title contests is the setting or fixing of the ballot title by the local legislative body conducting the electionin this case, the School Board. The School Board's final action settling or deciding the wording of the ballot title constitutes the setting or fixing of the ballot title under section 31-11-111. Thus, a person contesting the form or content of the ballot title pursuant to section 1-11-203.5 must do so within five days of the school board's final action concerning that ballot title. [9] Here, Cacioppo made no formal objection to the ballot title until he filed this suit in February of 2002, some six months after the school board set the ballot title and four months after the election itself. Thus, his claims appear to be time-barred under section 1-11-203.5.