What to know: Republicans have a write-in option, but who can be voted as a write-in? What happens if you vote a candidate who has suspended their campaign?
By BRIAN PORTER | The Rocky Mountain Voice
Of those Coloradans eligible to cast a ballot in the Republican Party’s presidential primary election, only 15.3% have done so, according to data provided Friday by the Colorado secretary of state’s office through the close of Thursday’s reporting.
It leads those eligible to cast a Democratic Party ballot and having done so by 4.9%.
It has been slow going thus far, with just short of 22% of all voters casting a ballot, and with women leading men in ballots cast.
With 108,200 ballots in process Friday and with Election Day looming on Tuesday, March 5, it could be a low turnout for voters to weigh in on their choice for U.S. President. The presumptive national party nominees are Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, with neither having lost a primary election entering Super Tuesday.
In Colorado, affiliated voters must cast a ballot with their party of choice. Unaffiliated voters can choose which ballot to cast.
The Colorado secretary of state’s office reports there are 3,785,316 registered eligible voters, with 909,486 registered as Republican and 1,853,643 registered as unaffiliated. There are 1,022,187 registered Democrats. Excluding registered Democrats, there are 2,763,129 voters eligible to cast a ballot in the Republican Party’s primary election, with 423,961 who have done so.
The Republican Party primary ballot has been more popular, data provided by the secretary of state reads. As of Thursday, among the 831,705 ballots cast, 50.9% of ballots were cast in the Republican Party primary and 36% were cast in the Democratic Party primary. Data also finds only 16.5% of unaffiliated voters have cast a ballot, with 1,548,047 ballots outstanding. More females have voted in every age demographic in the Republican Party primary than males and 80.1% of ballots cast have been by those ages 45 and older.
Those Coloradans with an uncast ballot wishing to participate in the Republican Party’s primary election may be grappling with their selection before Election Day.
Most 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.
While those voting a Democratic Party ballot will find a “noncommitted delegate” option for President, those voting a Republican Party ballot will not. On the Republican Party ballot there is a write-in option.
“We haven’t actually been asked [by voters] about the write-in option,” said Morgan County Clerk Kevin Strauch. “I would say we have had quite a few use it.”
As of Thursday’s ballot count In Morgan County, about 30 voters have selected the write-in on the Republican Party ballot among about 4,000 total ballots cast.
So who can be written in?
There are a couple in the Republican Party’s primary: Rachel Hannah “Mohawk” Swift and Walter Iwachiw. Writing in any other option would disqualify the ballot.
“If it is Mickey Mouse [written in], then we reject it based upon Mickey Mouse not being a valid candidate,” Strauch said, adding an invalid write-in choice is not able to be rectified with the voter. “At that point, the ballot is separated from the envelope and we don’t know who it belongs to.”
The Colorado Secretary of State’s website agrees with Strauch: “Only registered write-in candidates will be accepted.”
There will be other options on the ballot, most if not all of which have suspended their campaigns. A vote for one of them could still be recorded.
“They’ve suspended the campaign nationally, but haven’t withdrawn in Colorado with the secretary of state,” Strauch said. “If you vote for Ron DeSantis, its a vote for DeSantis. In theory, he could win the primary. If he did call and withdraw, those votes would then not be counted.”
Traditional Election Day voters can cast a ballot at the voting center or at a drop box in their county of residence on Election Day, March 5. The last day to vote early by personal appearance is today, Friday, March 1. The last day for a county clerk to receive a ballot by mail is March 5. Polls are open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters should contact their county clerk with any election-related questions.