Primary election ballots are coming to your mailbox. Here’s what you need to know.

Colorado’s June primary on June 30 will decide which party candidates move forward to the November general election

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Ballots for Colorado's June 30 primary will be mailed to registered voters starting on Monday, June 8. Voters have until Monday, June 22, to return their ballot in the mail. After that, they have until 7 p.m. on Election Night to return their ballots at drop boxes in their county.
Ali Longwell/Summit Daily

Starting on Monday, June 8, registered voters in Colorado will be receiving ballots in the mail for the June 30 primary, with party elections for multiple local, state and federal offices. 

Winners from each party will advance to the November general election, where voters will decide on races for governor, U.S. Senate, the state House of Representatives and more.  

Who votes in a primary election? 

All registered voters — including those registered as unaffiliated or with the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and Unity parties — will have an opportunity to cast their votes in the June 30 primary. 



Colorado had over 4 million residents registered to vote as of May 1, nearly 50% of whom are registered as unaffiliated. Around 24% are registered as Democrats and 22% registered as Republicans. 

In Routt County, which had 20,018 active registered voters by the same date, around 54% were registered as unaffiliated, nearly 25% as members of the Democratic Party and 18% for the Republican Party.



While voters registered with a specific party will receive only the ballot associated with their affiliation, unaffiliated voters will receive a ballot for both the Democratic and Republican party primaries — but can only vote in one. 

Colorado’s Libertarian Party does not allow unaffiliated voters to cast a vote in their election. They can request a ballot for the Unity Party primary from their local county clerk. 

How to register to vote 

In Colorado, residents can register to vote up until polls close on Election Day. 

To receive a ballot in the mail, Coloradans must be registered by June 22. After this date, individuals can still register, but will have to vote at an in-person voting center. 

Individuals with a valid Colorado driver’s license or state issued ID can register to vote, or check their voter registration status, online at GoVoteColorado.gov. Voters can also update their mailing address and voter details on this website. 

According to the Secretary of State, Colorado had 474,000 inactive registered voters in the state as of May 1, meaning that their ballot had been undeliverable in a prior election. 

How to cast a primary ballot 

Ballots will be mailed to registered voters starting on Monday, June 8. 

Voters have until Monday, June 22, to mail in their primary ballot. Any ballots completed after that date must be submitted in person to a drop box or county clerk office. Mail-in ballots can be returned in person up until 7 p.m. on Election Night.  

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 30, with polls open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Voters can contact their County Clerk’s office for a list of ballot drop boxes and in-person voting centers. 

Who will be on the ballot? 

While the Republican and Democratic parties have a number of contested races this June, ballots for the Libertarian Party and the Unity Party primaries will contain only one race each. The Libertarian Party of Colorado has nominated two candidates for secretary of state; the Unity Party of Colorado has nominated two candidates for governor. 

While Colorado has a number of other minor parties, these are the only four parties holding primaries this year. 

The Steamboat Pilot will be covering several of these races in the lead up to Election Night on Tuesday, June 30. 

The list below only includes the contested primary elections that will appear on your ballot. 

Colorado governor primary elections

Democratic Party: 

  • Michael Bennet 
  • Phil Weiser

Republican Party: 

  • Scott Bottoms
  • Barbara Kirkmeyer
  • Victor Marx

Unity Party: 

  • Jeff Peckman 
  • Paul Noël Fiorino

Secretary of state primary elections 

Democratic Party:

  • Jessie Danielson
  • Amanda Gonzalez

Libertarian Party: 

  • Alex Astley 
  • Sean Vadney 

Attorney general primary election 

Democratic Party: 

  • Hertal Doshi
  • Michael Dougherty 
  • Jena Griswold 
  • David Seligman 

Republican Party: 

  • Michael Allen
  • David Willson

University of Colorado Board of Regents: Congressional District 2

Democratic Party: 

  • Kubs Lalchandani
  • Edie Hooton
  • Murray Smith

United States Senate primary election 

Democratic Party:

  • John Hickenlooper (incumbent) 
  • Julie Gonzales

Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District primary

Republican Party: 

  • Kelley Anne Dennison
  • Christina Blunt (Ducommun)

Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District primaries 

Democratic Party:

  • Alex Kelloff
  • Dwayne L. Romero

Republican Party:

  • Ron Hanks
  • Jeff Hurd (incumbent) 

State House of Representatives: District 13 

Democratic Party:

  • Chris Floyd
  • Consuelo Redhorse
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