Half of Colorado's registered voters don't belong to a political party
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Unaffiliated voters are now the majority in Colorado, a significant milestone that solidifies the state's independent political identity.
By the numbers: 50.3% of the state's registered voters opted not to join a political party, according to the Sept. 1 tallies from the Secretary of State's Office.
The fine print: The number does not include pre-registered voters who are not yet eligible to vote.
The intrigue: Just because voters are registered unaffiliated does not mean they're neutral come election time.
- About 60% lean toward Democrats and the remainder align with Republicans, according to pollsters and political experts.
What they're saying: "There is no incentive anymore for a voter to register with a party," aside from personal identity, Colorado State University political science professor Kyle Saunders recently told the Denver Post.
The big picture: Colorado still trails Massachusetts and Alaska, where 60% or more of voters are registered independent.