Why It Matters
Colorado’s ballot access rules are creating a growing structural challenge for Democratic and Republican candidates seeking office across the state. As unaffiliated voters now represent half of Colorado’s active registered electorate, the pool of partisan voters eligible to sign candidate petitions has shrunk significantly, raising the barrier to entry for anyone running in a major party primary.
The issue affects races at every level of Colorado government — from local legislative seats to statewide offices — and could influence which candidates are ultimately able to compete in 2026 and beyond.
What Happened
Under Colorado election law, candidates seeking to appear on a Democratic or Republican primary ballot through the petition process must collect signatures exclusively from voters registered with their respective party. Signatures from unaffiliated voters, regardless of which primary those voters choose to participate in, do not count toward the required totals.
As of March 1, 2026, unaffiliated voters made up exactly 50% of Colorado’s approximately 4 million active, registered voters. That milestone marks a significant shift in the state’s political composition and has direct, practical consequences for candidates on the ground.
Democratic and Republican political consultants and candidates told The Colorado Sun that tracking down registered partisan voters for petition signature drives has become increasingly time-consuming and expensive. “It’s extremely difficult,” said Kwon Atlas, a Democratic strategist who managed signature-gathering efforts for multiple candidates this year.
The challenge is not hypothetical. Candidates who fail to collect enough valid signatures must either qualify through their party’s assembly process or risk missing the ballot entirely. With fewer registered partisans available in many neighborhoods and precincts, campaigns must cover more ground, hire more staff, or both.
By the Numbers
- 50% — The share of Colorado’s active, registered voters who were unaffiliated as of March 1, 2026
- 4 million — Approximate number of active, registered voters in Colorado statewide
- 2 million — Estimated number of unaffiliated voters who cannot contribute valid petition signatures to major party candidates
- 25% — Approximate share each of Democrats and Republicans now hold among active registered Colorado voters, down from larger majorities in previous decades
- 2026 — The election cycle in which these dynamics are actively affecting candidate petition drives across the state
Zoom Out
Colorado is not alone in experiencing rapid growth among unaffiliated or independent voters, but few states have reached the threshold where unaffiliated registration matches or exceeds each of the two major parties. Nationally, Gallup polling has consistently shown that roughly 40 to 45 percent of Americans identify as independents, a figure that has risen steadily over the past two decades.
Several other states have grappled with the tension between partisan primary rules and an increasingly non-affiliated electorate. States like Arizona and Nevada have seen similar registration trends, prompting debates over whether primary ballot access laws should be updated to reflect the current makeup of the voting public.
In some states, unaffiliated voters are permitted to sign petitions for candidates from either major party, or petition signature thresholds have been adjusted downward to account for changing registration patterns. Colorado has not made such adjustments, leaving its ballot access requirements anchored to a partisan registration landscape that no longer reflects on-the-ground reality.
Political scientists and election law experts have noted that rigid partisan petition rules in states with high unaffiliated registration can inadvertently favor well-funded campaigns that can afford large professional signature-gathering operations over grassroots candidates with smaller budgets.
What’s Next
Colorado’s 2026 primary election cycle is already underway, and candidates are currently navigating these petition challenges in real time. Campaign operatives expect the difficulty of partisan signature gathering to intensify if unaffiliated registration continues to climb past the 50% mark in coming months.
Legislation addressing ballot access rules has been discussed in previous Colorado legislative sessions, though no comprehensive reform has advanced into law. Advocates for updating the petition process may use the current difficulties as renewed justification for pushing changes through the state legislature.
For now, Colorado campaigns are adapting by deploying more targeted voter data tools to identify registered partisans, increasing paid signature-gathering budgets, and focusing canvassing efforts on precincts with higher concentrations of registered Democrats or Republicans.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office has not announced any administrative changes to petition requirements ahead of the 2026 election cycle.