With less than a week to go before the Colorado primary, BallotReady.org is criss-crossing Colorado on a mission to inspire voters to vote and vote informed. Here’s our quick guide to smart voting this June.
Didn’t we already vote?
Coloradans might be wondering - didn’t the primary already happen? While voters caucused for president back in March, this month voters have the opportunity to weigh on every other office, from U.S. Senator to County Commissioner to University of Colorado regent.
Potentially less glamorous (although we at BallotReady are enthusiastic about all local offices) races like CU regent matter a lot. The newly elected regents will decide the balance of the currently deadlocked CU board and make hugely consequential decisions around university tuition, leadership, and divestment from fossil fuels.
Key dates to know
Unlike most of the country, Colorado is a vote by mail state. You should have already received your ballot, but if you didn’t it’s not too late! Ballots should be mailed by June 24 in order to arrive on time.
Colorado voters can also vote in person. Voter Service and Polling Centers opened on June 20 and are available through the election. Check out Just Vote Colorado to find a location near you.
Finally, even if you’re not currently registered to vote or affiliated with a party, you can do so up until Tuesday, June 28 - Election Day. Voter Service and Polling Centers will be open until 7:00pm.
Vote informed
Now time for a confession: for most of my life, I’ve guessed on my ballot.
I’m not alone - over the past two years, we’ve talked to hundreds of voters, including political science professors and journalists, and everyone has admitted to guessing. When it comes to downballot races and issues, it’s simply too difficult to find good information, and as a result voters typically make decisions based on candidate names, ethnicity, gender. Being listed first on the ballot can give a candidate an extra 5% bump.
Other voters don’t even bother to guess - they just leave those questions blank. An analysis by the Colorado Criminal Justice Coalition found that the number of voters skipping the district attorney’s race in some Colorado counties could have changed the outcome.
And of course, some voters simply don’t vote. A Knight Foundation study found that the median age of voters in mayoral elections is 60.
We founded BallotReady because we believe elected officials matter from the top of the ballot to the bottom. If you care about the leadership of Colorado schools, the criminal justice system, and your local community, make sure to visit BallotReady to compare candidates and make an informed choice. Help us continue to build a movement for informed democracy!
Aviva Rosman is the COO and co-founder of BallotReady, an online voter guide to every race and referendum. She and her co-founder Alex Niemczewski graduated from the Boulder-based accelerator Mergelane in April.
