Colorado is latest state to put election overhaul on ballot
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/08/28/1724860657331.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Colorado voters will decide this November whether to change how leaders are elected, part of a record-setting number of election-related ballot initiatives nationwide this year.
Why it matters: All-candidate primaries and ranked-choice voting are gaining momentum as advocates call for fairer elections that don't cater to partisan extremes.
The big picture: Open primaries, in which candidates from all parties compete to advance to the general election, are on the ballot in Idaho, Nevada and South Dakota. Similar measures in Arizona, Montana and Washington, D.C. are expected to qualify, according to Unite America, the group behind the push.
- All together, nearly 1.5 million voters in those states endorsed revamping elections by signing petitions to get the measures on the ballot.
What they're saying: "With a record number of initiatives, 2024 is proving to be the year that Americans realized primaries are the problem," said Nick Troiano, the organization's executive director, in a statement.
Zoom in: Colorado's is one of the most ambitious election overhaul efforts.
- Under a measure that qualified for the ballot Thursday, voters will decide whether to abolish party primaries — in which Republicans pick the Republican nominee and Democrats select theirs — in favor of an open system in which all candidates run together.
- The top four candidates would advance to the general election, where the winner must receive more than 50% of the vote. A new instant-runoff system through ranked-choice voting would decide the race.
- It would take effect in 2026 and apply to all races overseen by the state, from U.S. Senate to district attorney.
The other side: Colorado's mail-ballot voting system is considered a gold standard in terms of accessibility and security, and it often produces one of the highest turnouts each election.
- The two major political parties are united in their opposition to Initiative 310 because it will weaken their power in picking candidates for the November ballot
Yes, but: In Colorado's primary elections, only the members of the party and unaffiliated voters can participate, leading to lower turnout and candidates elected with just a fraction of support from their district.
Moreover, partisan stacked districts mean just 18% of the voting-eligible population effectively picks their members of the U.S. House.
- At the state level, 84% of Colorado House seats are dominated by one party, the race is considered uncompetitive after the primary — one factor that makes the Legislature so politically polarized.
The bottom line: This election not only will decide the nation's next leaders but also how they should be elected in the future.