Colorado's Republican primary for governor may not be decided until Thursday at the earliest

The Republican primary for Colorado governor remains too close to call almost a week after the election.

Victor Marx -- who runs a ministry in southern Colorado -- currently leads State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer by 1,950 votes. State Rep. Scott Bottoms is a distant third in the race. But there are still thousands of votes yet to be counted.

Most of them are due to missing or mismatched signatures. When you send your ballot in, election officials verify that the signature on the envelope matches the one that they have on file.

When it doesn't, they notify you by mail and -- if you provided your email and cellphone number when you registered to vote -- by phone, text, and email.

Most clerks also post your name online and campaigns have dozens of volunteers who will even come to your door. You have until Wednesday at midnight to fix your signature.

If you don't, your ballot won't be counted but, the letters, calls, and emails will keep coming. By law, counties must contact voters with missing or mismatched signatures to protect against voter fraud.

There are about 11,600 ballots that have still have signature discrepancies. It's unclear how many of them are Republican ballots but the Colorado Clerk's Association says, based on previous elections, only about 30% of them will likely be fixed by Wednesday at midnight, especially since this year's primary happened right before a holiday weekend.

In addition to the ballots with signature discrepancies, clerks have also withheld at least a couple thousand ballots to preserve the anonymity of the votes.

Military and overseas voters also have until Wednesday at midnight to get their ballots in and, there are some outstanding ballots that were damaged or otherwise unreadable that judges are still examining.

We should know the winner of the Republican primary for governor by Thursday unless the race results in a recount. That could take another week. An automatic recount is triggered when the number of votes separating the candidates is less than .5% of the total votes cast for the top vote getter. The winner of the race will take on Democrat Phil Weiser and unaffiliated Greg Lopez in the general election. Lopez left the Republican Party earlier this year to run for governor as an unaffiliated candidate. Current Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, is term-limited.

UPDATE: On Tuesday, both of the leading candidates released statements about the continuing count.

Marx wrote the following on his candidate Facebook page: "It's now been several days since Election Day, and I understand why many people are asking questions. Long counts naturally create concern, and in today's environment, it's easy for people to wonder what's happening.
I'm choosing to believe the best while also recognizing the importance of accountability. We must have confidence in our election process, and confidence is strengthened by transparency.
Can people cheat? Unfortunately, yes. Republicans, Democrats, or anyone else, human nature makes safeguards necessary. That's why oversight matters.
If there is a recount, you can be certain we'll have experienced attorneys, trained recount watchers, and observers present in the counties where they're needed. Transparency and accountability help ensure confidence in the outcome.
I also want to publicly thank Colorado's county clerks and the men and women working long hours to process ballots. Thank you to everyone curing their ballots today and tomorrow-your vote matters, and taking that final step helps make sure your voice is heard.
And to our military members casting ballots from around the world: thank you for your service and your commitment to our republic.
Let's trust the process, finish the count, and make sure every lawful vote is counted.
Let's get it done.
P.S. I also want to make something very clear. If the final certified results show that Barb Kirkmeyer is the winner, she will have my full support in defeating Phil Weiser this November. Colorado is bigger than any one campaign.
I believe Republicans, unaffiliated voters, and everyone who supported our campaign would appreciate hearing the same commitment from Barb. If the results go the other way, will she publicly commit to supporting our campaign so that, together, we can unite to win in November and put Colorado first?"

Kirkmeyer sent out a press release saying the following:
"The race is not over.
There are still ballots left to count, including overseas ballots and ballots that can still be cured. Every legal vote deserves to be counted before the people of Colorado know the final outcome.
Over the next several days, our incredible team will be working hard to help voters cure eligible ballots and make sure every valid vote counts. Most counties are expected to report final results Thursday, with the full picture anticipated by Friday.
Until then, we are staying focused, staying positive, and seeing this through.
I am incredibly grateful to every person who has supported our campaign, volunteered, prayed, and voted. Your commitment to Colorado has brought us to this moment.
This election is about far more than one campaign. It is about the future of our state.
If we want to restore common sense, protect our freedoms, and build a Colorado where families can thrive, we cannot sit on the sidelines.
We're going to keep working, keep pushing, and keep fighting for every single vote. Thank you for standing with us every step of the way. The work is not finished yet."