The Colorado Sun is fielding and answering your questions about the 2024 election as part of an occasional series. Submit a question.
Questions have been edited for clarity and length.
Reader question: I am an unaffiliated voter and plan to vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Why isn’t he on the presidential primary ballot?
Answer: Kennedy initially announced his run for president as a Democratic candidate, then switched in October to run as an independent.
Colorado holds presidential primary elections only for Democratic and Republican candidates, and only candidates who are approved by their respective parties can appear on the ballot.
Kennedy and other independent candidates can appear on the Nov. 5 general election ballot in Colorado, but to do so they must gather 1,500 signatures from voters in each of the state’s eight congressional districts.
The general election ballot will also include candidates for minor parties, including candidates running under the Libertarian and Green party banners. Those candidates go through nominating processes set by their respective parties.
Something to keep in mind: There may be candidates on your Democratic and/or Republican presidential primary ballots who have exited the race. The ballots were set in early January, before some of those candidates announced they were ending their campaigns. None of the presidential candidates who have exited the race had withdrawn from Colorado’s presidential primary as of Feb. 21. Any votes cast for those candidates will be counted if and until they withdraw.
Do you have questions about Colorado’s March 5 presidential primary or other election details? Fill out the form below and we’ll answer them.
Got a question about Election 2024 in Colorado?
Submit your inquiry about this year’s November ballot to The Sun’s politics team. We’ll be answering them through election season.