More than 1 million ballots were returned in Colorado’s 2026 primary election held on June 30, marking record turnout that exceeded participation in recent election cycles, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. The strong response reflected intense competition across statewide offices, with contested races for governor and U.S. Senate drawing voters to the polls.
Democratic ballots made up more than half of the returns statewide, outpacing Republican ballots significantly. Robert Preuhs, chair of political science at MSU Denver, noted the shift compared to 2022. “The difference really is in this shift between Republicans taking the lead in 2022 and Democrats taking the lead this year, or at least folks that are turning in Democratic ballots or outnumbering Republican ballots thus far,” Preuhs said.
Unaffiliated voters, who make up over half of Colorado’s active registered voters, are on track to account for a record 40% or more of all ballots cast in the 2026 primary elections. As of 2 p.m. on Election Day, nearly 450,000 unaffiliated voters had returned their ballots, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The share of unaffiliated primary voters has steadily risen since 2018, when Colorado voters approved Proposition 108, allowing unaffiliated voters to choose which party’s primary ballot they cast. In 2018, unaffiliated voters made up roughly 25% of primary voters; that proportion rose to about 36% in 2022.
With the winners of statewide Democratic primaries heavily favored to advance to November’s general election, more than twice as many unaffiliated voters chose Democratic ballots as Republican ones. A total of 205,731 unaffiliated voters had returned Democratic ballots, compared to 86,175 Republican ballots, with another 157,803 unaffiliated returns remaining to be processed.
Contested Races Shape Colorado’s Political Future
Phil Weiser faces Michael Bennet in Colorado Democratic primary for governor, with the winner likely to become the state’s next chief executive in a heavily Democratic state. The race tested whether voters would back the more progressive state Attorney General or the more establishment-aligned U.S. Senator.
On the Senate side, Julie Gonzales challenges Hickenlooper in Colorado Democratic Senate primary, with state Senator Gonzales mounting a generational challenge to incumbent John Hickenlooper, who is seeking a second term. These primary contests reflected broader national tensions within the Democratic Party between its progressive and centrist wings.
Voters emphasized the importance of primary elections despite their historically lower turnout. “I don’t think I took primaries seriously enough in my 20s,” voter Mallory St. George told Denver7. “If there’s anything I’ve learned in the last decade of politics, it’s that there’s no such thing as a small election.”
Sources
- Colorado Newsline — unaffiliated voter turnout record, ballot return data, unaffiliated voter trends since 2018
- Denver7 — more than 1 million ballots returned, Democratic ballot dominance, expert analysis from MSU Denver
- Secretary of State’s Office — official ballot return numbers and voter data
