Colorado’s independent voters get voice in party primaries

Colorado's independent voters get voice in party primaries | iNFOnews.ca
Alex Leith, a former Democrat who switched to unaffiliated two years ago, poses for a picture, Thursday, June 21, 2018, in Denver. For the first time, Colorado is allowing unaffiliated voters, the state's largest voting bloc, to participate in the major party midterm primaries, thanks to a voter-passed initiative that largely was spurred by disenchantment with the polarization of the 2016 presidential election and candidates many voters viewed as unresponsive to their concerns. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER – Colorado is joining the ranks of other states that allow unaffiliated voters to vote in major party primaries.

It’s a big step for Colorado, a swing state where independents are the largest voting bloc.

A voter-passed initiative in 2016 allows Colorado’s 1.2 million active independent voters to cast ballots in either the Democratic or Republican primaries this time around. The primary is Tuesday, but early voting by mail and drop off is underway.

The initiative passed in a year that Colorado saw presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defeat Hillary Clinton in state caucuses — and a strong, if losing, vote for Donald Trump in the general election.

Early returns suggest more independents are voting Democratic in an election cycle where the top race is choosing a successor to Colorado’s term-limited Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.

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