Ask The Sun: Why there’s no “noncommitted delegate” option on Colorado’s Republican presidential primary ballot

Reader question: Why isn’t there a  “noncommitted delegate” — or none of the above option — on Colorado’s Republican presidential primary ballot like there is on the Democratic presidential primary ballot? And if I write that in on the Republican ballot, will it count?

Answer: The Colorado GOP, unlike like the Colorado Democratic Party, didn’t ask the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to include a “noncommitted delegate” option on their presidential primary ballot. 

There is a write-in option on the Republican presidential primary ballot, but writing in “noncommitted delegate” would result in your vote not being counted.

One of the quirks of Colorado election law is that write-in candidates must submit an affidavit to state elections officials to have votes cast for them count. A couple of Republicans have done that, so only write-in votes cast for those people will be counted.

What is the noncommitted delegate option on the Democratic presidential primary ballot? Colorado’s presidential primaries are not winner-take-all contests. The vote count will determine how many — if any — delegates are assigned to a candidate from Colorado to be sent to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. 

On the Democratic side, if more than 15% of the vote statewide or in a congressional district goes to the noncommitted delegate option, the party will send a delegate or delegates to the Democratic National Convention who would have to cast their ballot that way in the first round of voting. If there is a second or subsequent round of voting, the noncommitted delegate or delegates from Colorado could back whichever candidate they desire.

Something to keep in mind: If you haven’t submitted your ballot, it’s too late to mail it back to your county’s clerk if you want it to be counted. Ballots must be in the possession of local election officials by 7 p.m. March 5 to be counted.

To ensure your ballot makes it back to your county’s clerk by the deadline, you should now drop it off at a dropbox in your county or deliver it to a vote center. 

If you didn’t receive a ballot or want to register and vote, visit a voter service center as listed on your county clerk’s website. Colorado is a same-day voter registration state, so you can register and cast a ballot up until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

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.