Important Primary Election Heads Up!

Angela Meyers, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder

Primary Election Day in Colorado is little more than a month away – June 26^th. Ballots will be in the mail to registered voters the week of June 4^th, and there are some very important things all voters – and especially those who are Unaffiliated (or sometimes call themselves “independent”) – need to know.•

Primary elections determine which candidates from each party will make it onto the General Election ballot in November. In the past, only Democratic voters were allowed to vote in the Democratic Primary and only Republican voters were allowed to vote in the Republican Primary. Unaffiliated voters had to affiliate in order to receive a Primary ballot (they could then change their affiliation back to Unaffiliated after the election, if they desired).

Beginning this year, there is no longer a requirement to affiliate in order to vote in a Primary Election in Colorado. Democratic voters will still receive a Democratic Primary ballot and Republican voters will still receive a Republican Primary ballot, as always.

THE BIG CHANGE IS—unaffiliated voters are no longer required to affiliate in order to vote in a Primary Election.

Keep these important points in mind to ensure your vote counts!

• Unaffiliated voters can indicate a preference and receive only the ballot for the party they indicate. Only Unaffiliated voters can indicate a preference, which must be specifically requested for each election, and the last day to request a preference for the 2018 Primary is May 28th. Contact us if you wish to indicate a preference. Indicating a preference is not required and doing so does not equate to affiliation.

• If no preference is indicated, Unaffiliated voters will receive two ballots in their mail ballot packet – but ONLY ONE ballot can be voted.

• You CANNOT vote one race on a Democratic ballot and another race on a Republican ballot.

 • Returning both ballots voted in any way will result in both ballots being rejected – no votes will count.

 • The ballot that you do not vote should be appropriately discarded (we suggest shredding it). Please do not return it to us.

Voting in a party’s Primary Election will not affect your affiliation; however, the Primary Election that you vote in will be public record (who you vote for, of course, will not).

As always, any information you need regarding elections in Larimer County can be found at votelarimer.org, and you can contact our Elections office at 970.498.7820 for assistance as well.

Value your voting privilege and make sure your vote counts – return only one ballot!