Unaffiliated Voters Can Now Vote in Party Primaries

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

For the 37% of Colorado voters who are registered as unaffiliated, 2018 marks the first year you can now vote in the primary of either the Democratic or Republican party.

When Colorado voters passed Proposition 108 in 2016, state law was changed to allow unaffiliated electors to vote in the primary elections of major political parties without declaring an affiliation with the party. This “open primary” measure passed along with Proposition 107, which re-established a primary for presidential candidates in Colorado.

The measures are intended to increase voter participation in general and give more voice to the approximate 45% of voters nationally who identify themselves as independent.

Below is a primer on what you need to know for the upcoming primary election scheduled to take place on June 26^th.

I’m registered as unaffiliated, what do I need to do?

If you know which primary you want to vote in (you can vote in only one primary), you can declare beforehand which primary ballot you want to receive in the mail. Boulder County requests you do this by May 8^th (you can officially until May 29^th) for the June 26^th election. Your choice does not change your official party affiliation for the general election in November nor does it change your affiliation for future primary elections.

If you do not choose beforehand which ballot to receive, you will get both primary ballots in the mail and you can send back just one of those ballots. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on June 26^th to be counted.

What if I’m already registered as a Democratic or Republican?

You don’t need to do anything, you will receive the appropriate ballot in the mail.

What if I’m registered with another party like the Libertarians or the Greens?

In Boulder County, there are no primary elections for any minor party, but you can still vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

Do I have to vote in the primary?

No, you are not required to vote in any primary, that is your right as a voter. Proposition 108 gives those who choose a minor party the opportunity to vote in a primary. The effort is made easier since all voting in Colorado is done via mail.