EL PASO COUNTY — “Some people say, well, primaries don’t matter. Well it does,” said El Paso County Clerk and Recorder, Chuck Broerman. Colorado’s 2022 primary election is one week away.
For some races this year’s primary could be more important than the general election in November. "Your House and Senate seats and some of your commission seats, the winner that is chosen next week, Tuesday night, in those particular parties will probably be that person who will prevail in November,” said Broerman. There are districts where one party or the other has much higher numbers. Also races with more than one candidate from a single party running, but no-one from the other party.
In Colorado unaffiliated voters can vote in primaries. They are mailed a ballot for each party. Unaffiliated voters can only vote and return one ballot or the other. Broerman explained, “If you do return both, that will invalidate your vote.”
Forgetting to sign the back of the official ballot return envelope also stops your vote from being counted. “That is our our assurance that you and only you voted your ballot,” said Broerman, “We do check those signatures.”
With less than a week to election day it is now too late to mail ballots. Voters need to deliver them to an official election location before polling and drop-off locations close on election night. “It’s not good enough to be postmarked, said Broerman, “It has to actually be physically in our hands by 7 p.m.” Tuesday June 28, 2022 is the deadline for primary voting.
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