The Denver Gazette reports that early Colorado primary ballot returns show Democratic ballots outpacing Republican ballots, but with fewer than 6% of the state’s 4 million active registered voters having ballots logged so far. As of noon Wednesday, county clerks had received 230,436 ballots, including 87,790 cast in the Democratic primary, 70,145 in the Republican primary, and 71,701 unaffiliated ballots awaiting processing.
That is a warning light, not a funeral bell. Anybody declaring a mandate off a trickle of returns is selling fog in a jar. But Republicans should not shrug either. Democrats bank votes early because they treat mail ballots like math. Too many Republicans still treat them like witchcraft, then act shocked when the scoreboard starts moving before they finish posting memes about saving the country.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Less than 6% of active voters had ballots logged when the article was written. So no, this is not destiny. It is not a wave. It is not the voice of Colorado thundering from the mountaintop. It is an early count.
- Democratic primary ballots were ahead of Republican primary ballots, 87,790 to 70,145. That is not cause for panic, but it is cause for discipline. Ballots sitting on kitchen counters do not count themselves.
- A huge chunk of unaffiliated ballots had not yet been processed, and the article notes nearly 85% of unaffiliated ballots cast were still awaiting processing. Translation: anyone pretending to know exactly where this is headed needs to put down the crystal ball and drink water.
- Election experts and officials cautioned against reading too much into early ballot return data because counties process ballots on different schedules. This is where the media turns “preliminary” into “dramatic” because election anxiety pays the bills.
- Ballots are due by 7 p.m. June 30, and voting centers and drop boxes are becoming available statewide. The deadline is not a suggestion. It is the moment your civic opinion becomes either a vote or a decorative paper product.
My Bottom Line
No panic. No conspiracy. No whining about the rules after ignoring the ballot box on the kitchen counter.
Republicans need to stop treating mail ballots like they are cursed objects from a haunted county clerk’s office. Colorado’s system is the system. You do not have to love every part of it to use it better than the other team. Democrats understand this. They return ballots. They chase voters. They bank votes early. They do not sit around waiting for perfect vibes and a bald eagle to deliver Election Day in a pickup truck.
Elections are won by people who vote, not people who post. They are won by campaigns that track ballots, cure problems, contact voters, and build turnout discipline before the final weekend panic parade. Returning the country starts with returning the ballot. Radical stuff, I know.
So here is the message for Republicans: vote early, track your ballot, fix signature problems fast, remind your family, call your neighbor, and stop outsourcing civic duty to vibes. The rules are right in front of us. The ballot is right there. Pick it up.
Source: The Denver Gazette
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