By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice
About one-quarter of registered voters statewide had cast a ballot in a party primary entering Monday. Election Day is today, March 5.
Among the 838,903 ballots to have been processed, 58.6% have been in the Republican Party. Ballots cast in the Democratic Party primary are trailing by 17.4%. Unaffiliated voters have returned 356,940 ballots, of which 161,274 have been in the Republican Party’s primary and 120,317 of which are being processed.
Today, voters will have a couple of options. First, a completed ballot may still be cast at a drop box location through 7 p.m. Also, voters may cast a ballot in-person at the voting center in their county of residence. The last day for a county clerk to receive a ballot by mail is today. Polls are open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
In Colorado, affiliated voters must cast a ballot with their party of choice. Unaffiliated voters can choose which party’s ballot to cast.
Voters ages 45 and older have cast 80.1% of ballots in either party’s primary as of Monday, with females continuing to outpace males in ballot count.
Colorado is one of 16 states which holds a Presidential primary election on March 5, known as Super Tuesday. More than one-third of delegates available will be decided in these states and one territory on Super Tuesday. Republicans will settle 854 of the available 2,429 delegates on Super Tuesday, while Democrats will offer 1,420 delegates on Super Tuesday.
Most Republican Party voters are expected to choose between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. Real Clear Politics polling averages find 78.7% of Americans voting in the Republican Party’s primary election favor Trump, with 14.5% supporting Haley. There will be other options on the ballot, most if not all of which have suspended their campaigns nationally.
Voters are encouraged to contact the county clerk in their county of residence with any election-related questions.