If voters casting ballots in Colorado’s Democratic presidential primary next year don’t like any of the candidates on their ballot, they’ll be able to choose what’s effectively a “none of the above” option.
The Colorado Democratic Party added a “noncommitted delegate” choice to the March 5 ballot that gives voters the option of sending untethered representatives to the Democratic National Convention next year to select the party’s nominee. Instead of being bound to support a Democratic presidential primary candidate supported by Colorado voters, the delegates could back any candidate on the floor of the nominating convention.
People voting in the Republican primary won’t have a similar choice.
The 2024 Democratic presidential primary in Colorado will be only the second time in state history that voters will be able to cast a ballot for a “noncommitted delegate.” It comes as national polls have shown that Democratic voters are wary of President Joe Biden’s reelection bid.
“We aim to provide as many choices as we can to our voters,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib said in a text message to The Colorado Sun.
The Democratic presidential primary in Colorado is not a winner-take-all contest. How well a candidate — or the “noncommitted delegate” choice — performs determines how many delegates from the state they will get at the Democratic National Convention, where the party’s presidential nominee will be selected.
There are 87 delegates up for grabs.
The Biden campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment about the Colorado Democratic Party’s move.
The last time presidential primary voters had the option of supporting a “noncommitted delegate” was 1992, when the choice received the support of 2% of the 242,211 voters who participated in the contest. Former California Gov. Jerry Brown received nearly 29% of the vote, while then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, who ultimately became president, received about 28%.
The 2024 presidential primary will be only the state’s fifth presidential primary contest. In other years, Democrats and Republicans used the caucus and assembly process to select presidential primary delegates.
Who is likely to be on the ballot
Dec. 11 was the last day a presidential primary candidate could file to be on the March 5 ballot in Colorado, but the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has until Jan. 5 to finalize the candidate list. Candidates may drop out by that deadline as well.
Write-in candidates must file with the Secretary of State’s Office by Dec. 29. Only approved write-in candidates will receive votes, though their names won’t be listed on the ballot.
“They can’t vote for Daffy Duck because Daffy Duck didn’t apply to be a write-in candidate,” said Jack Todd, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office.
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In addition to Biden, others seeking a spot on the Democratic presidential primary ballot in Colorado next year include Marianne Williamson, who received less than 1% of the vote in 2020, and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, of Minnesota. There are five other Democratic candidates who submitted paperwork to be on the ballot but who appear to be political novices with no real shot.
Six candidates filed to appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Colorado, in addition to former President Donald Trump. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Trump could not appear on the ballot, but that ruling is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Other Republicans who filed paperwork include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
There are 37 Republican presidential primary delegates from Colorado up for grabs.
A candidate must win at least 20% of the statewide vote to secure delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next year, with the number of delegates distributed proportionally among the candidates who clear that threshold.
Candidates must be approved by the state chapter of their political party before appearing on the presidential primary ballot. The Colorado GOP is requiring that Republican presidential candidates pay the party up to $40,000 and post on social media about their “excitement to be on the Colorado ballot” to get the state party’s approval.
Trump, DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy and Dallas pastor Ryan Binkley have all satisfied the social media requirement, with Trump paying the party $40,000 in September for ballot access.
The Colorado GOP will file its financial report for November on Dec. 20, revealing whether the other candidates who have filed to be on the March primary ballot have also paid the fee. Democrats do not have such requirements for their presidential candidates.
What you need to know about participating in the presidential primary and party caucuses
Ballots for the March 5 presidential primary will be mailed out to most voters starting Feb. 12.
Registered Democratic and Republican voters will receive ballots for their respective parties. Unaffiliated voters will receive both party’s ballots, but they can only fill out one.
Separate from the presidential primaries, both the Colorado Democratic Party and Colorado GOP will hold precinct caucuses March 5-9 to begin the process of nominating candidates for down-ballot races to appear on the June 25 primary ballot for congressional, legislative and county-level races.
To participate in the caucuses, people must be registered with either the Democratic or Republican party by Feb. 16. The state parties must post caucus locations, times and dates by Feb. 26.
To check or update your voter registration, visit govotecolorado.com