Record-Breaking Voter Turnout For Colorado Presidential Primary

More people participated in Colorado’s 2020 presidential primary than in any other primary in state history, according to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. Our state’s turnout is also expected to lead the states that held primaries on Super Tuesday and every primary held so far.

“The massive turnout we’ve seen for the presidential primary is indicative of both the passion Coloradans have for exercising their right to vote as well as the state election model that enables access to do so,” Griswold said in a statement. “We’ve set a record in Colorado primary turnout and lead the nation in primary turnout participation, even before our results are final. That should make every Coloradan extremely proud.”

Through Wednesday, 1,697,768 ballots had been counted, which amounts to a 43.6 percent turnout of registered voters, elections officials said. There have been 1,816,369 total ballots returned, which amounts to 46.59 percent of registered voters.

Of the 1,816,369 ballots returned, 1,047,830 were cast in the Democratic primary, while 665,943 were for the Republican primary, and 102,596 are still in process, elections officials said.

Unaffiliated voting was also strong — with 602,829 registered unaffiliated ballots returned so far. Of those, 367,604 were for the Democratic primary and 132,684 the Republican primary, and 102,541 still in process. The turnout numbers "far surpass" the last primary held in Colorado in 2018, where total turnout was 1,170,257 and unaffiliated turnout was 281,408, elections officials said.

Colorado’s 2020 presidential primary is the first held in the state in 20 years and is the first ever to enable unaffiliated voters to participate. It replaces the presidential caucus.

While ballots are still being counted across the country, Colorado is poised to lead the nation in primary voter turnout, Griswold said. Of the 10 Super Tuesday states that have reported, only Vermont’s turnout rate of 39.4 percent is "remotely comparable" to Colorado’s, and of all the primaries that have been conducted, Colorado is on pace to easily eclipse New Hampshire’s turnout rate of 44.9 percent of registered voters, elections officials said.

Colorado voters will have two chances to set even more records with the state primary June 30 and the General Election Nov. 3.

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