Colorado would hold a presidential preference primary in 2020 instead of caucusing on the nominee under a bill that passed the state House of Representatives preliminarily Thursday evening. The bill was introduced with only a few weeks remaining in the 2016 General Assembly in response to discontent about how the March 1 caucuses for Republicans and Democrats were conducted. It passed on second reading Thursday and now heads to the Senate for consideration. But it is also an insurance policy against a handful of proposed ballot initiatives that would ask voters in November to change Colorado’s primary system. Some of those would get rid of caucuses, but some also propose opening up Colorado’s primary process so unaffiliated voters could participate. Under current law unaffiliated voters would have to change their party registration to participate in that party’s caucus.
But House Bill 1454 was amended Thursday night so that if any of those amendments pass, a version of open primary that is more palatable to the political parties would be implemented instead.
Rep. Tim Dore, R-Elizabeth, said that is “much broader” than what House Bill 1454 proposes. He said under the ballot initiatives everyone would receive every ballot in the mail and then decide which party primary to participate in.
Under his bill, if one of those were to pass, the state law would trump it and instead unaffiliated voters would be sent a postcard giving them the option to temporarily affiliate with a party of their choice for the primary. If the ballot initiatives fail, or don’t even make the ballot, Colorado elections will remain closed.
Full Article: Presidential preference primary would replace caucusing in Colorado if House bill is successful | Colorado Springs Gazette, News.