Overview of Primary Election Laws (18-07)
In 2016, voters approved Proposition 107 and Proposition 108, which reestablished a presidential primary in Colorado and allowed unaffiliated voters to participate in political party primary elections. Subsequently, the General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 17-305, which made modifications to state law to implement these measures, and Senate Bill 18-233, which made additional changes to some of the provisions concerning unaffiliated voters voting in primary elections. The Secretary of State also promulgated rules to address changes to the primary election laws prior to the 2018 election cycle. This issue brief provides an overview of presidential primaries and participation by unaffiliated voters in primary elections.