Registered voters in Colorado will have two new propositions to consider Nov. 8. Propositions 107 and 108 amend Colorado Revised Statutes that limit an unaffiliated voterís ability to participate in a primary election.According to the National Conference of State Legislatureís website, Coloradoís primary election type is categorized as ìopen to unaffiliated voters.î Unaffiliated voters can participate in any party primary election they choose, but voters who are registered with one party cannot vote in another partyís primary election. Additionally, Colorado requires that unaffiliated voters declare their affiliation with a party at the polls to be able to vote in that partyís primary election.If passed, Proposition 107 would restore presidential primary elections before the end of March, and open the primaries to unaffiliated voters ó without requiring that they declare an affiliation with a political party, according to the propositionís final draft submitted to the Colorado Secretary of State.ìColorado voters experienced disenfranchisement and profound disappointment with the stateís system for participating in the presidential nomination process in 2016,î the proposition states. ìGiven the rules for participating in caucuses, the stateís largest group of voters ñ- more than one million unaffiliated electors ñ- were disenfranchised altogether.îAdditionally, Proposition 108 would allow for candidates, under certain circumstances, to be selected by committee or convention, rather than through a primary election. These offices include the following: ìUnited States senator, representative in congress, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, member of the state board of education, regent of the university of Colorado, member of the general assembly, district attorney, and all county officers.îAccording to an article posted on the ìDenver Business Journalísî website on Aug. 24, 2016, the mitigating circumstances under which a candidate may be selected by committee or convention require that 75 percent of the partyís state central committee agrees to the nomination.ìBecause primary elections are paid for by taxpayers, all eligible voters who want their voices to be heard should be able to vote in these elections,î Proposition 108 states.
