DENVER — More than a million ballots have been returned statewide in Colorado's primary election, according to the latest numbers from the Secretary of State's Office — and turnout is trending higher than past years.
Democratic ballots make up a greatest share of those returns, outpacing Republican ballots, according to the secretary of state's office.
▶️ Denver7's Allie Jennerjahn talks with MSU Denver's chair of political science about what those numbers mean
Robert Preuhs, chair of political science at MSU Denver, said the raw numbers are actually trending a bit higher than previous years — and offered an explanation.
"We also have more registered voters," Preuhs said. "The difference really is in this shift between Republicans taking the lead in 2022 and Democrats taking the lead this year, or at least folks that are turning in Democratic ballots or outnumbering Republican ballots thus far."
He added that voters shouldn't dismiss primary elections as less important than general elections.
"This primary election is going to be the one that may select a lot of candidates that will eventually win in the general election, and that's a lot of state legislative districts are drawn such that whoever wins the Democratic primary or the Republican primary are going to go on to win that office," Preuhs said.
Mallory St. George, a voter, said she showed up to cast her ballot because the stakes are always high.
"It was important to me to come out and vote, because I feel like we forget that democracy is not promised," St. George said. "I've been voting since I was 18, and I plan to keep voting till the day that I die."
She said her years of following politics have reinforced the value of every election.
"I don't think I took primaries seriously enough in my 20s, right? I don't think that it was something I was paying enough attention to, but if there's anything I've learned in the last decade of politics, it's that there's no such thing as a small election," St. George said.
St. George said she believes the outcome of elections ultimately rests with ordinary citizens.
"The power truly does belong with the people," St. George said.
For St. George, voting is an important part of exercising civic duty.
"We are very lucky to have the right to vote," St. George said. "And your rights need to get used."
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