Unaffiliated Voters’ Right to Participate in Party Primary Elections is Upheld
Denver, February 2, 2024 - Today in U.S. District Court, Judge Philip Brimmer issued a ruling denying the Colorado Republican Party’s preliminary injunction to prevent Unaffiliated voters from participating in Republican Party Statewide Primary Elections. Secretary of State Griswold defended Unaffiliated voters’ rights in the lawsuit.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold has issued the following statement:
“We are glad that the Court today decided that Unaffiliated voters, who make up nearly 48% of all Colorado voters, can continue to make their voices heard in state primaries. The Colorado Republican Party’s attempt to suppress the Unaffiliated vote was stopped. As Secretary of State, I will always work to ensure that all voters—Unaffiliated, Republican, and Democrat, alike—have their voice heard in our elections.”
The Colorado Republican Party’s lawsuit tried to stop Unaffiliated voters from participating in the June Statewide Primary.
As of February 1, Unaffiliated voters make up 47.9% of all active voters in Colorado according to data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
For both the 2024 Presidential Primary on March 5 and Statewide Primary on June 25, Unaffiliated voters will receive two ballots: one with candidates from the Colorado Republican Party and one with candidates from the Colorado Democratic Party. They may only return one ballot for their vote to be counted by their local county clerk.
