Morgan Co. secession backers to turn in petition

Voters in Morgan County will learn soon whether they’ll also get a chance to vote on seceding from Colorado.

Monday at 4 p.m. is the deadline for secession backers to turn in a petition to get the 51st state measure of the ballot this fall. They need to gather the signatures of at least 15 percent of county voters, about 2,300 people.

Morgan County is surrounded by three other counties where the issue will already be on the ballot – Weld, Logan and Washington counties.

A new state would have to be approved by the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress, making the secession votes mostly symbolic.