And the Next President Will Be…

Ballots are hitting the mail and on their way to Coloradans as early as this week, as the Rocky Mountain state inches towards its turn at the primary President elections of 2020. March 3 will mark the first time in 20 years in which Colorado has participated in the primary elections, and there is a lot to know before ballots should be filled out and returned.

Be Sure You are Registered

First and foremost, make sure you are registered to vote in Colorado. If you aren’t, you have until March 3 to get it all sorted. If you are 18 years of age, or will be come November 3, you can register now and participate in the primaries as well as the big day at the end of the year. The process is super simple and this step-by-step guide will get you where you need to go.

Be Informed

It’s easy to get caught up in what folks are saying about candidates and proposed policies, but there is a lot of noise in conversation and everyone’s got an opinion. There is no better weapon against intolerance, bigotry, and  systemic oppression than getting informed and voting for your rights. As LGBTQ folks, we know the significance of self-advocacy, and when it comes to the local and national elections, this is when it matters most. One Colorado has created an incredible resource with a list of candidates who have been named Pro-Equality Champions, and that may be a good place to start to learn more about who is running and for what position in the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. Additionally, the LGBTQ Victory Fund has a list of endorsed, queer candidates who are running for office in 2020 including new House candidate John Ronquillo.

Related article: LGBTQ Victory Fund Endorses More Candidates than Ever

President or Bust

For the primary election on March 3, the only thing that will be on the ballot is going to be the list of 2020 presidential candidates. While the general election in November will include local issues, policies, and politicians, the only thing that the primaries are concerned about is the future 46th President of the United States.

Get Into the Caucus

We hear this term a lot, “caucus,” but what is it, exactly? Caucuses are meetings of registered electors within a precinct (or county) who are members of a particular major political party. The purpose of precinct caucuses is to elect precinct committee persons and delegates to county assemblies. Caucuses are held in locations across Colorado and are open to the public. In order to be eligible to participate in a political party’s precinct caucus, a voter must be affiliated with the party holding the caucus for at least 22 days, be a resident of that precinct for at least 22 days, and be registered to vote no later than 22 days before the caucus.

Questions and Answers

For more answers to questions like who can vote, how to vote, and where to vote, The Colorado Sun recently published an article with lots of stats, facts, and figures that will surely get you where you need to go if you haven’t arrived already.