Unaffiliated voters add to record-breaking primary turnout in Colorado

For the first time, unaffiliated voters were able to fill out a ballot in the primary election in Colorado.

Statewide, those who did not choose a party accounted for nearly a quarter of the votes cast.

Breaking down the numbers, 290,639 unaffiliated voters participated statewide in the election.

With 162,713 voters returning a Democrat ballot, and 127,926 voters returning a Republican ballot.

In El Paso County, 33,498 unaffiliated voters participated in the primary election. More than half voted the Republican ticket.

Secretary of State Wayne Williams said the unaffiliated votes played key roles in statewide races.

“Where you had an Attorney General’s race on the Democratic side, decided by 7500 votes, at least at this point. A Treasurer’s race on the Republican side decided by 4500 votes,” Williams said. “It’s very clear that unaffiliated voters played a role in choosing both of the party’s nominees and in some cases, a decisive factor.”

About 1.2 million voters participated in Tuesday’s election, which is a record for the most participation in a primary.

Williams is expecting double the participation in November.

“Particularly with what’s likely to be a competitive Governor’s race at the top of the ticket,” Williams said.

Many registered voters did not participate in the primary. In total, 3.2 million Coloradans are registered to vote. Leaving roughly 2 million that did not participate.