A Broomfield district court judge will hear arguments over whether the city properly conducted its election on banning the use of hydraulic fracking. The city's November election on the matter was close, with a state-mandated recount indicating that the ban passed by a 20-vote margin. But election monitors representing the Broomfield Balanced Energy Coalition which opposed the ban, filed a suit against the city saying some of the more than 20,000 votes should have been counted, others should have been thrown out.

The Colorado Secretary of State's office also issued a report detailing problems with the process.

But the city certified the vote results, and the fracking ban, on December 12. City and County Attorney Bill Tuthill advised that the ban was now in effect in a statement posted on its website December 12.

But the next day, Broomfield district Judge Francis C. Wasserman issued an order staying the certification of the election results pending a hearing.