Colorado election officials are warning unaffiliated voters to return only one primary ballot to avoid having their votes discarded before the June 30 primary election.
This warning comes as a significant portion of the state's electorate remains unaffiliated. Because these voters receive ballots from both the Democratic and Republican parties, a misunderstanding of the rules can lead to immediate disqualification.
More than 1,000 unaffiliated voters have already been disqualified after returning both ballots [1]. Under Colorado election law, unaffiliated voters must select a single party ballot to participate in the primary. Submitting both ballots violates this rule and results in the vote being invalidated [1], [2].
Colorado has approximately 2 million unaffiliated voters [3]. This group represents a large share of the state's total electorate, as Colorado has about 4 million active, registered voters [4].
As the primary progresses, officials are monitoring participation levels. Just under six percent of voters have cast ballots so far in the primary [4]. The state's system allows unaffiliated voters the flexibility to choose which party's primary they wish to influence, but the law remains strict regarding the submission of only one document.
Election officials said the process is designed to prevent double-voting. Voters who are not registered with a specific party are mailed both options to ensure they have access to the primary of their choice, but they must choose only one to remain eligible.
“More than 1,000 unaffiliated voters have already been disqualified after returning both ballots.”
The high number of disqualified voters highlights a recurring point of friction in Colorado's open-access primary system. With unaffiliated voters making up roughly half of the registered electorate, the tendency for some to return both ballots suggests a gap in voter education regarding the legal requirement to choose a single party. This could potentially impact the final tally in tight primary races if a significant number of voters are disenfranchised by procedural errors.
