Should independent voters continue to vote in Colorado primaries?

追加: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]Right now, there's a hearing to decide who can vote in the Colorado Republican primary. Three Republican candidates filed a lawsuit to block if unaffiliate voters or independent voters block them from their party's primary after a federal judge ruled in April they could cast a ballot. The Republicans argued it violates their constitutional rights by forcing Republicans to let quote outsiders help choose the party's nominees. This decision affects more than 2 million unaffiliated registered voters in Colorado. That's a little more than 50% of voters. More than a million Coloradoatans are registered Democrats and more than 900,000 are registered Republicans. Last year, I spoke with nonpartisan organization Let Colorado Vote. They told me Colorado independent voters tend to vote in line with Democratic priorities like cost of living and affordability. So tonight, Denver 7's Maggie Winsky is listening to some of those Colorado voters and asking political experts why this legal challenge matters and how it could affect Colorado politics moving forward.

[00:01:03]Here in colorful Colorado, >> I think both parties have a voice.

[00:01:07]>> Alton Dillard sees the state as a purple gem.

[00:01:10]>> And so the fact that the bulk of Colorado voters have chosen not to choose a political party is one of the things that I still think keeps us in the purple category. But he says independent voices could be silenced.

[00:01:22]>> So that's essentially saying, "Okay, you 50 plus, you know, percent, you know, you all take a hike and we're going to just figure this out." And it's just it it doesn't add up for me.

[00:01:31]>> Now, three Republican candidates have filed a lawsuit to prevent unaffiliated voters from participating in the June primary. And so I think there was a belief that by allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in Republican primaries that a lot of unaffiliated would vote for the most unelectable candidate so they would end up getting smoked in the November election when they faced the Democrat.

[00:01:56]>> I listened into the hearing with Republican gubanatorial candidate Scott Bottoms arguing Colorado's open primary violates constitutional rights.

[00:02:04]>> We will hurt our constitutionality. We will hurt our first amendment right to assemble and this will hurt Republicans all down the line in many different um elections throughout the state.

[00:02:16]>> But for unaffiliated voters like Summer Kums, it presents a different constitutional concern.

[00:02:21]>> I definitely think um it is concerning because we do see greater attempts across the United States right now to limit voter participation.

[00:02:28]>> The former history teacher taught her students to be involved in our political process. it's the most important thing that you can do as a citizen in our country >> and believes this will alienate voters.

[00:02:37]>> I'm hoping that common sense will prevail and Colorado will continue to lead the nation in allowing uh unaffiliated voters and in some ways people who are not tied to either Republican or Democratic party the opportunity to participate in our elections.

[00:02:51]>> Kent theory, founder of the nonpartisan organization called Let Colorado Vote, also stressed the importance of unaffiliated voters in our state. you you as a voter get to vote for whoever the heck you want. It doesn't matter if you vote for a Republican governor and a Democratic senator. That's your right as a citizen.

[00:03:09]>> And at the core of it all, >> and we're seeing that in poll after poll, the people are angry. They want there to be more stuff getting done, not so much posturing and performative art.

[00:03:20]Maggie Walansky number