Colorado Sees Record-Breaking State Primary Voter Turnout

DENVER, CO — Colorado's state primary has been "an overwhelming success," elections officials said. With a record-breaking 1,577,347 ballots returned to county election officials by 11:30 Tuesday night, the turnout is easily the largest of any state primary in Colorado’s history.

Around 99.3 percent of ballots were returned via mail or ballot drop box, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office said. The turnout rate — which is expected to climb over the next week — is already at 44.96 percent of active voters, compared to 37.63 percent for the state primary held in 2018.

“In midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado just set a record turnout for a state primary. A total of 99.3 percent of voters cast a mail ballot, and there were not lengthy lines or wait times reported at in-person voting centers,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

“Despite misleading attacks, disinformation, and attempts to make vote-by-mail a partisan issue, Colorado’s election proves that mail ballots are the key to accessible voting during this health crisis.”

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Around 99.4 percent of voters who participated in the Republican primary returned their ballot by mail, and 99.2 percent of voters who participated in the Democratic primary did the same.

While Colorado has had a mail ballot model since 2013, the "importance of voting by mail increased exponentially over the last three months," the secretary of state said. Colorado will continue to work with other states to help expand mail ballots nationally.

The turnout will continue to increase as ballots are processed over the next eight days, elections officials said.