Colorado voters — it’s time to start thinking about politics again.
Clerks will start mailing primary ballots to voters in the state starting next week, and for many, that process will also come with a flurry of text messages.
Colorado uses a service called BallotTrax that allows voters to sign up for text alerts at each stage of the voting process — from when it’s mailed out, to when the completed ballot is received back at the clerk’s office and their signature is verified.
The Secretary of State’s office said nearly two million Coloradans are already signed up for BallotTrax, out of 3.8 million active voters statewide.
Voters who aren’t already signed up can do so here.
“Initiatives like BallotTrax increase transparency and confidence in our elections by allowing Colorado voters to track their ballot from when they are sent, received, and counted,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold in a statement.
Primaries in the state are semi-open. Registered Democrats and Republicans only get their own party’s ballot, while unaffiliated voters receive both, but can only return one in order for it to be counted.
At the top of the ticket, only Republicans have contested primaries this year. They have multiple candidates in the races for governor, U.S. Senate, and Secretary of State, as well as in three high profile congressional races — in districts three, seven and eight.
Democrats, who have more incumbents up for reelection have fewer high-level contested primaries, although multiple candidates are vying in congressional districts one and three.
Primary Day is June 28. All ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. that evening.
