The CPR News voter guide to Colorado’s 2022 primary elections: How to vote, who’s running and more to know

Ballots are now out for this year’s Democratic and Republican primaries and must be returned by 7p.m. on Tuesday June 28th. Here’s some basic information for participating in the upcoming election.

Who gets to vote

Colorado’s primary elections are semi-open. Registered Democrats will only get a Democratic ballot, and the same for registered Republicans. Unaffiliated voters get both party’s ballots, but can only return one for it to count. Minor parties don’t hold primaries, but instead pick their candidates through assemblies.

The basics of voting

Colorado takes a have-it-your-way approach to voting. All active voters get their ballots in the mail. But you have a variety of options for actually submitting your ballot. You can mail it back (make sure to use enough postage and do it early enough for it to be delivered by the 28th!) Or you can drop it in a drop box in your county. Or if you don’t want to use your mail ballot, you can toss it out and opt to vote in person at a vote center anywhere in your county (this is also an option if your mail ballot never arrives).

To check or update your registration, the state website is govotecolorado.gov. The state is also urging voters to sign up for BallotTrax, which sends text alerts at nearly every stage in the process, from when your ballot is sent out to when your signature is verified and the ballot is scanned.

Who’s running in the primaries

The most high-profile primary contests this year are on the Republican side. That’s because Democrats hold the four main statewide offices and the U.S. Senate seat that’s up for reelection this year, and no one made it onto the ballot to challenge those incumbents. On the Republican side, there are hard-fought contests for governor, senate, secretary of state and a number of U.S. House seats. There are Democratic primaries in two Congressional districts.

Here’s who’s running in the largest races

What to know about the Congressional District races

Not sure what district you live in? You can find your Congressional District on this map.

Related election coverage

Ballots and voters

• Primary ballots are about to go in the mail — here’s how to keep an eye on yours from anywhere in Colorado
• Colorado GOP assembly winnows down primary fields, as social issues dominate
• Republicans and Democrats set primary ballot for governor, Senate and other races
• Colorado election season started in a caucus process made (slightly) more accessible by pandemic changes
• Here’s what to do if you haven’t gotten a primary ballot yet — or if you lost it

Governor's race

• Polis launches re-election campaign in a changed Colorado, and a new political environment
• LISTEN: Greg Lopez wants conversations on guns, abortion, housing and inflation. But he won’t ‘require anybody to do anything.’ 
• LISTEN: Heidi Ganahl, GOP candidate for Governor, would restrict abortion, expand charter schools and get oil and gas ‘back to work`

Senate race

• O’Dea campaign files complaint against shadowy mailers that falsely say Republican Party endorsed his rival
• The big new player in Colorado’s Senate GOP primary? Democratic groups
• Abortion stances divide GOP Senate candidates

Secretary of State race and Tina Peters

• False claims about 2020 election front and center as Tina Peters clinches spot in GOP secretary of state race
• Election security bill inspired by Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters signed by governor
• Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters won’t oversee 2022 elections
• DA investigation refutes Tina Peters’ claims of Mesa County 2020 election fraud

District 3 and Lauren Boebert

• Thousands of Democrats are changing their voter registration in Lauren Boebert’s district ahead of the primary
• In the face of Lauren Boebert’s national profile, her GOP primary challenger hopes to harness local discontent to pull off an upset
• Meet the three Democrats competing to flip Lauren Boebert’s seat in Congress

District 8

• For voters in the new 8th Congressional District, the issues are wide and varied
• LISTEN: Diving into Colorado’s newest Congressional District
• Hitting the road to get to know Colorado’s new 8th district

Other Congressional races

• In deep-red El Paso County, GOP challengers hope to pull off a congressional upset over incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn
• Rep. Ed Perlmutter will not run for reelection in District 7
• GOP Senate candidates Hanks and O’Dea face off in primary debate
• Williams campaign seeks criminal probe in El Paso County Congressional race