Colorado 2014 Primary and General Election information
By Elizabeth Wood West
Colorado voters have two important regularly scheduled elections to participate in for 2014 – the Primary Election in June and the General Election in November.
Primary Election –
Considered by many to be one of the most important phases of an election, a Primary Election is essentially a nominating election when each vote counts the most because it gives voters the ability to determine who the best candidate to put forward is.
Registered Republicans vote for Republican candidates (who run against other Republican candidates) and registered Democrats vote for Democratic candidates (who run against other Democratic candidates). If other parties qualify to appear on the primary ballot, their candidates run against each other as well. Votes may not be split between the various political parties. Unaffiliated electors may declare affiliation with one of the major or minor parties and cast that party’s ballot.
Winning the party’s nomination is the first step in the election process. Whoever wins the primary election goes on to be on the ballot as the party’s candidate for the General Election.
General Election –
A General Election is the election in which all voters make the final choice from among the party nominees and the independent candidates for a specific office. The general election determines which candidates will occupy the office that is up for election. Statewide ballot proposals also appear on the general election ballot.
Below are the details, dates, and deadlines for Colorado’s Primary and General Elections. Note: If you are not currently registered to vote, you may do so all the way up until the day of the election.
Primary Election – Tuesday, June 24:
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May 10: |
Uniformed and overseas citizens’ ballots mailed |
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May 23: |
Last day to change party affiliation |
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June 2 – 6: |
Ballots mailed to voters |
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June 2 – 23: |
Ballot drop-off locations open Monday thru Friday during regular business hours of location and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. |
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June 16 to June 23: |
Voter service and polling centers open Monday through Friday during regular business hours of location and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. |
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June 17: |
Last day to file an absentee ballot application to receive the ballot by mail. (No later than the close of business on the 7th day before the election) |
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June 24: |
Election Day – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
General Election – Tuesday, November 4:
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September 20: |
Uniformed and overseas citizens’ ballots mailed |
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October 14 – 17: |
Ballots mailed to voters |
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October 14 – November 3: |
Ballot drop-off locations open open Monday through Friday during regular business hours of location and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25 and November 1. |
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October 20 – November 3: |
Voter service and polling centers open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25 and November 1. |
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October 28: |
Last day to file an absentee ballot application to receive the ballot by mail. (No later than the close of business on the 7th day before the election) |
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October 31: |
Last day to request an in-person absentee ballot. (Before the close of business on the Friday immediately preceding the election) |
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November 4: |
Election Day – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
For information regarding local, state, and national Democratic candidates, visit www.DouglasDemocrats.org and www.coloradodems.org.
For Republican candidates, visit www.DCGOP.org and www.cologop.org.
For all other voter information, including how to register to vote, contact the Douglas County Clerk’s office at 303-660-7444 or visit
www.douglas.co.us/elections/.
