Common Questions about the June 25, 2024 Primary
Q1. What am I voting for on the June 25, 2024, Primary ballot?
A1. When voting in a primary election, your vote counts toward nominating a candidate to appear on the general election ballot to represent a specific party. After the primary, the winner will get nominated by the party as their official candidate for the general election.
Q2. What is the difference between a primary and a general election?
A2. The State of Colorado holds regularly scheduled state elections every two years; a state Primary Election in June and a General election in November. In presidential election years, the state also holds a presidential primary election in March.
The nominated candidates from each party's primary ballot will be placed on the November General Election ballot. The winner of the November General Election will hold office.
Q3. What is the difference between a primary and a caucus? Is there still a caucus?
A3. A primary is held by the State and allows all registered voters to participate. Individuals registered with a specific party will get to vote on who the candidate will be to represent that party, while unaffiliated voters may cast a vote for any one political party of their choosing. Like any election, ballots for the primary will be mailed out. The caucus is hosted by the political party and also functions to nominate leaders for the political party.
Q4. Who can vote in a Primary Election?
A4. During the June primary:
- Voters affiliated with a major party: may cast a ballot for candidates of the party they are affiliated with.
- Voters affiliated with a minor party: if there is a minor party contest, those affiliated with that minor party may cast a ballot for those candidates.
- Unaffiliated voters: An unaffiliated voter may cast a ballot in the Republican or Democratic Primary. If an unaffiliated voter returns more than one political party ballot, all ballots will be rejected and none of the votes will be counted.
Q5. When do ballots get mailed out and when will I get mine?
A5. Mail ballots are mailed out 22 days before the election. You should receive your ballot between 20 to 15 days before the election, depending on when your county clerk sent it out and the timing of the postal service.
Q6. How can I get a replacement ballot and when is the deadline?
A6. An elector can receive a replacement ballot if the original ballot was destroyed, lost, spoiled, or for some other reason not received by the elector. The elector can obtain a replacement ballot at the voter’s county clerk’s office, or they can receive a replacement ballot by mail by making a request to the county clerk and recorder’s office. The deadline to request a replacement ballot by mail is no later than the 8th day before the election, in this case, June 17th, 2024.
Q7. How can I return my ballot and what’s the deadline to do so?
A7. You can return your ballot multiple ways. You can return your ballot by:
- Mailing in your ballot;
- Dropping off the ballot at your county’s ballot drop box; or
- Dropping off your ballot at a drop-off location or at your county clerk’s office.
If you decide to return your ballot by mail, please note that you must mail your ballot by June 17th, 2024, in order to ensure that the county receives your ballot in time. If returning your ballot in person or by drop-box, please do so by 7:00 P.M. on election day to ensure that your vote is counted.
Q8. Where can I return my ballot?
A8. You can drop off your ballot at your nearest drop-box or in-person at a polling location or at your county clerk’s office.
Q9. Where can I vote in person?
A9. You can vote in person at any polling location in your county.
Q10. Where can I see what is on my ballot?
A10. If you want to see what is on your ballot for the upcoming election, please visit My Ballot Colorado SOS and click the link to view a sample ballot.
Q11. Why did I get two ballots?
A11. You are registered as Unaffiliated and get to choose which party’s ballot you want to vote. Unaffiliated voters will receive ballots for both major political parties during a primary election. This allows the Unaffiliated voter to choose which party’s primary they will vote in. Unaffiliated voters can only return one party’s voted ballot.
Q12. Why do unaffiliated voters get to vote twice?
A12. They do not get to vote twice. Unaffiliated voters get to choose which party’s ballot they would like to fill out but may only return one voted ballot. If two voted ballots are returned by one person, neither will be counted.
Q13. Why didn’t I get two ballots? Or why did I get THIS (party specific) ballot?
A13. You are affiliated with a specific party and as such, should have only received that party’s ballot.
Q14. Why can’t I choose (vote for) BOTH a democrat and a republican? (ex. Dem governor, Rep senator, etc.)
A14. During a primary, you can only vote in one party’s primary. A registered Democrat will receive and may cast votes on the Democratic ballot, a registered Republican will receive and may cast votes on the Republican ballot, and Unaffiliated voters will receive and may cast a vote on either the Democrat or Republican ballots, but not both. Allowing Unaffiliated voters to vote in both primaries would give them more voting power than affiliated voters. If an Unaffiliated voter returns two voted ballots, neither will be counted.
Q15. What do I do with the extra (un-voted) ballot?
A15. Please shred or otherwise dispose the ballot you are not voting on.
Q16. Besides the two major parties in Colorado (Democratic and Republican) are any minor parties participating in the June 25, 2024, Primary?
A16. No. No minor parties are participating in the June 25, 2024, primary election.
Q17. I’m unaffiliated and want to stay that way, who will know what ballot I cast? Is it anonymous?
A17. Who you voted for is always anonymous. Processing unaffiliated ballots is conducted by election judges. The envelope itself may indicate the party ballot you returned but, if it does not, bipartisan judges will open the envelope to determine which ballot was returned. Who you voted for is not public information and will be kept confidential, however which party’s ballot you returned is public information.
Q18. Do I have to vote every race on the ballot?
A18. No. This is called “voting down the ballot”. It is your choice what races you want to cast a vote in. You do not have to vote in every race unless you choose to do so. For example, some voters only cast a vote for U.S. Senate while others may vote for every race. Whatever races you do vote in will be counted.
Q19. Why didn’t I get my ballot in the mail?
A19. This can happen for several reasons (recent move, for example). Note that if you are affiliated with a minor party, you will not receive a ballot for the June primary election because no minor parties are participating in the primary. Reach out to your county clerk’s office if you did not receive a ballot and believe you should have.
Q20. What is a write-in candidate?
A20. A write-in candidate is someone whose name does not appear on the ballot but has filed the proper paperwork with the designated election official to run as a write-in candidate. Votes for that candidate that are written in can be counted. If a voter writes in a name for a candidate that has not filled out and turned in the proper paperwork, the vote will not be counted.