What to watch on Election Day in Colorado
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Colorado voters will make major decisions Tuesday about the future of the state — and the nation.
State of play: In Colorado, the right to an abortion and same-sex marriage are on the ballot. So is how we vote, hunting wild cats, criminal justice policies and retaining state Supreme Court judges.
- In Denver, voters will decide on sales tax hikes for a hospital and affordable housing, a ban on slaughterhouses and fur products, and a billion-dollar school spending plan.
Why it matters: All of it — and much more — is at stake in an election overshadowed by the historic presidential race, where Colorado is poised to send its 10 electoral votes to Vice President Harris.
Inside the room: To help you make sense of the results, we prepared a quick guide to the top storylines.
1. The marquee race to watch is the 8th Congressional District, where incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo is looking to hold a key seat against Republican state Rep. Gabe Evans.
- If Caraveo wins, it would put Democrats closer to regaining a majority in the U.S. House.
- Yes, but: We probably won't know who won this race Tuesday night. In 2022, the margin of victory was 1,632 votes and the winner wasn't known until late Wednesday.
2. Turnout could become a key factor. Through Sunday, the early vote trailed 2020 levels, with turnout reaching 46% of registered voters, the state reports.
- Between the lines: The lengthy ballot may be an issue, either deterring voters or leading some to skip some contests.
3. Expect a flood of votes by Tuesday. Turnout reached 78% of registered voters in 2020. If we come close to that rate in 2024, more than 1 million additional ballots would arrive by the time polls close at 7pm.
- The intrigue: A late ballot surge may means we won't have results in close races by Tuesday night.
4. The impact of big money is easy to see in this election. If Proposition 131 (the election overhaul) and Amendment 79 (the constitutional right to abortion) pass, it's a victory for the billionaire donors and big-moneyed interests who flooded the state with campaign cash.
- By the numbers: More than $100 million was spent in state-level elections a week before the election.
5. Democrats are aiming for supermajorities at the state Capitol, while Republicans want to remain relevant given their minority numbers. It will come down to a handful of legislative races.
- Context: In the Senate, Democrats need to flip one seat and in the House, the party is hoping to hold three key seats to retain its current supermajority.