AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Colorado on Election Day
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Colorado will cast ballots for a slew of statewide measures and local contests alongside elections for president and U.S. House on Election Day.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican former President Donald Trump and several third-party candidates will compete for the state’s 10 electoral votes in the race to replace outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden.
There are a few closely watched U.S. House races in Colorado. Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is trying to secure victory in a new district on the east side of the state and Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo has a tight reelection contest against Republican candidate Gabe Evans.
Voters will also consider 14 statewide ballot questions, including one that would enshrine a right to abortion in the state constitution. It must receive at least 55% of the vote to pass. Abortion is already legal in Colorado, but many states have taken up the issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022. Colorado is one of 10 states that will put an abortion-related measure before voters in November.
Another proposal would repeal language in the state constitution defining marriage as “ only between one man and one woman. ” The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, but the Colorado measure would preserve the right if the high court’s decision were ever overturned. It requires only a simple majority to pass.
Other statewide ballot measures include whether to institute ranked choice voting for general elections, whether to keep the taxes Colorado collects on sports betting and whether to ban the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats.
Since 2008, Colorado has voted for Democrats in presidential elections, and Democrats are on the verge of having a veto-proof majority in the state Legislature.
Colorado is a largely vote-by-mail state. In the 2020 election, about 86% of total votes cast had been reported by 12 a.m. ET on election night.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Colorado:
Election Day
Nov. 5.
Poll closing time
9 p.m. ET.
Presidential electoral votes
10 awarded to statewide winner.
Key races and candidates
President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Unaffiliated) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) vs. Randall Terry (American Constitution) vs. Cornel West (Unity) vs. Blake Huber (Approval Voting).
8th Congressional District: Caraveo (D) vs. Evans (R) and two others.
Ballot measures: Amendment 79 (right to abortion), Amendment 80 (school choice in K-12 education), Proposition 131 (top four ranked choice voting), Amendment J (repeal state same-sex marriage ban).
Other races of interest
U.S. House, state Senate, state House, University Regents, state Board of Education.
Past presidential results
2020: Biden (D) 55%, Trump (R) 42%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 9:37 p.m. ET.
Voter registration and turnout
Registered voters: 4,477,527 (as of Sep. 1, 2024). About 26% Democrats, about 23% Republicans, about 49% unaffiliated.
Voter turnout in Nov. 2020: 77% of registered voters.
Pre-Election Day voting
Votes cast before Election Day 2020: 100% of the total vote.
Votes cast before Election Day 2022: 100% of the total vote.
Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.
How long does vote-counting take?
First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 9:02 p.m. ET.
By midnight ET: about 86% of total votes cast were reported.
___
AP writers Hannah Fingerhut and Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.
___
Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
