There's Still Time To Vote, Drop Off Ballots In Primary Election
DENVER (CBS4)- Voters have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to drop off their ballots in Colorado's Primary Election. It's the first in the state to include independent voters.
Voters are still dropping off their mail-in ballots on foot, by car and bike at voting locations around the state since it's too late to actually drop it in the mail.
A voter-passed initiative in 2016 allows Colorado's 1.2 million active independent voters, the state's largest voting bloc, to cast ballots in either the Democratic or Republican races but not both.
As of Tuesday morning, 830,000 Colorado voters have turned in their ballots in the primary election.
"The thing with the Colorado model is they put ballots into the hands of the voters so when we talk about turn out, it's more of an idea of ballot return. We always like to see as many voters participate as possible. One of the good things about unaffiliated voters is they pay the taxes that run elections also so we think they should be able to participate," said Alton Dillard with the Denver Elections Division.
Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams says he expects a total of 900,000 or even 1 million ballots to be cast when the election ends at 7 p.m.
"You have to pick one or the other," said Williams. "That's the initiative that people of Colorado voted. Which is you must vote either one or the other."
So far, Williams' office says 324,206 ballots have been cast by Democrats, 311,329 by Republicans and 198,130 by unaffiliated voters.
PHOTO GALLERY: Colorado Primary Election Day 2018
The state has 3.8 million people eligible to vote.