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I have already said I won't vote for Trump, this action by the GOP in my new state may be the final straw in voting for any other GOP candidate!

Colorado GOP files lawsuit to close its primary elections and block unaffiliated voters from participating

Updated at 2:13 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2023.
The Colorado Republican Party is suing the state in an attempt to stop unaffiliated voters, the state’s largest voting bloc, from participating in Republican primary elections.
 The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Denver on Monday, alleges that Proposition 108, which voters approved in 2016, is unconstitutional. The initiative required major political parties to allow unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections. It also included an opt-out clause for parties, if three-fourths of a party’s central committee agrees.If the suit is successful in striking down Prop 108, it could mean unaffiliated voters would not be able to participate in any party primaries — Republican or Democratic.

The State GOP says the law infringes on the constitutional rights of Republicans including, “the right of political parties to choose their nominees for office without interference by those who are not members of the party and have chosen not to affiliate with the party.”Of Colorado’s major parties, Republicans have the smallest share of registered voters, followed by Democrats. Unaffiliated voters now comprise the largest percentage of the state’s voters. And the lawsuit alleges that unaffiliated voters have an undue and possibly determinative influence on who Republicans nominate, and can potentially work with Democrats to try to get strong GOP contenders ousted in primary races.Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office is named in the suit. “The court dismissed the prior lawsuit and we continue to believe the new lawsuit has no merit. As Secretary of State, I will always stand up for voters to ensure that their constitutional right to cast a ballot is protected,” she said in a written statement.  The head of the Colorado Democratic Party blasted the effort and said the state Republican party is at odds with the voters.
 “The MAGA extremists running the Colorado GOP don’t need to blame Prop 108 for their historic losses: they simply need to take a look in the mirror,” said Chair Shad Murib. “The Democratic Party is a big-tent, and we welcome participation in our democracy.”
 Attorney John Eastman, with the Constitutional Counsel Group, is representing the Colorado GOP. He also represented Colorado GOP candidates in 2020 who sued to close the party primary, but the case was dismissed because they did not have legal standing. Eastman is currently facing possible disbarment proceedings in California over his role in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election.  The Colorado GOP also argues that the provision to allow a party to opt out of the primary is too burdensome because it requires a three-fourths majority of a party’s central committee, and even then is only valid for the following year’s primary. 
 “Proposition 108 further burdens the exercise of the right of Freedom of Association by imposing a specific voting requirement rather than leaving it to the political party to determine the vote required to select a method of candidate selection, as political parties generally do in their bylaws,” according to the lawsuit.The lawsuit is part of a multi-prong effort to change how the Colorado GOP nominates its candidates. This Saturday Republican party members are meeting to deliberate changing the rules to make it easier to opt-out of the primary, including counting an absent vote as an automatic “yes” vote for the opt-out. 
 

If you can put your emotions on the curb outside, what allowing Non Affiliated voters to chose either a Dem or Rep primary ballot promotes more voting.

Otherwise the independent stays home.

Several states have closed primaries. Keep it in proper perspective...if they are just starting to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in any primary, that means it was not allow in every previous primary held. Personally, I would prefer every state have closed primaries. If you don't care about a party enough to put your affiliation on the record, why should you care who that party nominates?

If they lose, I could see the Republican party simply not having a primary in Colorado.
 

Bruce » 02 Aug 2023, 9:37 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 9:37 am

If you can put your emotions on the curb outside, what allowing Non Affiliated voters to chose either a Dem or Rep primary ballot promotes more voting.

Otherwise the independent stays home.

Unaffiliated voters make up the largest share of Colorado’s electorate, at nearly 50%.
 

ConsRule » 02 Aug 2023, 9:46 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 9:46 am

Several states have closed primaries. Keep it in proper perspective...if they are just starting to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in any primary, that means it was not allow in every previous primary held. Personally, I would prefer every state have closed primaries. If you don't care about a party enough to put your affiliation on the record, why should you care who that party nominates?

If they lose, I could see the Republican party simply not having a primary in Colorado.

This was voted on and passed in 2016, implemented 2018.

First time I've ever been told I couldn't vote in a state primary, didn't expect it from the Republicans.
 

Bruce » 02 Aug 2023, 9:37 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 9:37 am

If you can put your emotions on the curb outside, what allowing Non Affiliated voters to chose either a Dem or Rep primary ballot promotes more voting.

Otherwise the independent stays home.

Independents should stay home, there's only two parties and they have diametrically opposing views, if you can't decide the difference, keep your disinterested *** at home.

Yea I am more of who cares???

Presently the Dems are rigging their primaries so Biden will win. Since I am a Republican… I don’t really care.

RebelGator » 02 Aug 2023, 10:11 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 10:11 am

Independents should stay home, there's only two parties and they have diametrically opposing views, if you can't decide the difference, keep your disinterested *** at home.

If you allow independents to vote in primaries the opposing views of the parties aren’t going to be so wide.

If you don’t then one party wants abortion on demand and the other the death penalty for abortions.

 

Fuelman » 02 Aug 2023, 10:04 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 10:04 am

This was voted on and passed in 2016, implemented 2018.

First time I've ever been told I couldn't vote in a state primary, didn't expect it from the Republicans.

Who said you couldn't vote in a state primary?  Current law there says you can, it's nothing more than a lawful challenge by a party with legal standing.  The Republican Party has the right to challenge a law they feel in unconstitutional.  Surely you don't oppose people or organizations exercising the legal rights.

If they win in court against the state, you can still vote in a primary...you would just have to register your affiliation and vote in the primary of that party.  Thirteen states currently have closed, or partially closed, party primaries.  Colorado just might have to go back on that list as number 14.
 

Bruce » 02 Aug 2023, 10:21 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 10:21 am

If you allow independents to vote in primaries the opposing views of the parties aren’t going to be so wide.

If you don’t then one party wants abortion on demand and the other the death penalty for abortions.

So?  Then the voters would have a choice to make in the general election.  I can't understand why this is a big deal to some people. 

As I have said, I would prefer Texas go to closed primaries...but I don't get worked up over us having open primaries.

ConsRule » 02 Aug 2023, 10:38 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 10:38 am

Who said you couldn't vote in a state primary?  Current law there says you can, it's nothing more than a lawful challenge by a party with legal standing.  The Republican Party has the right to challenge a law they feel in unconstitutional.  Surely you don't oppose people or organizations exercising the legal rights.

If they win in court against the state, you can still vote in a primary...you would just have to register your affiliation and vote in the primary of that party.  Thirteen states currently have closed, or partially closed, party primaries.  Colorado just might have to go back on that list as number 14.

True, it hasn't happened yet, still got under my skin a bit.
The "big tent" just got a lot smaller from my perspective.

Fuelman » 02 Aug 2023, 11:05 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 11:05 am

True, it hasn't happened yet, still got under my skin a bit.
The "big tent" just got a lot smaller from my perspective.

Answer this question for me; If you don't care about the republican party enough to register your affiliation, why should they care who you think should be their nominee?

This is just a primary...geez

Fuelman » 02 Aug 2023, 11:05 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 11:05 am

True, it hasn't happened yet, still got under my skin a bit.
The "big tent" just got a lot smaller from my perspective.

******* you can't be that dumb! Can you? If you were able to think answer this; why would the Republican party not want unafilliated voters to be part of choosing their candidates?

Bruce » 02 Aug 2023, 10:21 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 10:21 am

If you allow independents to vote in primaries the opposing views of the parties aren’t going to be so wide.

If you don’t then one party wants abortion on demand and the other the death penalty for abortions.

******* you can't be that dumb! Can you? If you were able to think answer this; why would the Republican party not want unafilliated voters to be part of choosing their candidates? 

Most registered independence are dimocrats trying to avoid the groomer child molester status that comes with the dimocrat label.

But we're not being fooled you NAMBLA/MAP pig ****!
 

ConsRule » 02 Aug 2023, 11:08 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 11:08 am

Answer this question for me; If you don't care about the republican party enough to register your affiliation, why should they care who you think should be their nominee?

This is just a primary...geez

I've been a registered Republican my entire life till this last spring, you can Thank Trump for that switch.

It's already obvious they don't care about swaying independent voters, I can reciprocate that feeling towards them.

As more and more people don't identify with either party, there are going to be problems in the future.
 

Warcok » 02 Aug 2023, 11:33 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 11:33 am

Most registered independence are dimocrats trying to avoid the groomer child molester status that comes with the dimocrat label.

But we're not being fool you NAMBLA/MAP pig ****!

Well I am not sure of the positive vibes you are sending the "registered demrats" but their aim is to choose the least likely to win candidate for the opposing party.

ConsRule » 02 Aug 2023, 9:46 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 9:46 am

Several states have closed primaries. Keep it in proper perspective...if they are just starting to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in any primary, that means it was not allow in every previous primary held. Personally, I would prefer every state have closed primaries. If you don't care about a party enough to put your affiliation on the record, why should you care who that party nominates?

If they lose, I could see the Republican party simply not having a primary in Colorado.

I disagree .......  what is there to be afraid of???

By the same token the Electoral College should be abolished first thing tomorrow because it is legalized voter fraud.

Voter Suppression should be squashed? NOW.  Why is it not busted yesterday?

Fuelman » 02 Aug 2023, 11:36 am » wrote: ↑

02 Aug 2023, 11:36 am

As more and more people don't identify with either party, there are going to be problems in the future.
 

How?  The parties will still have nominees.  It might simply be a case of fewer people selecting them.  Having a closed primary keeps one party (who they know will have a **** nominee because nobody wants to challenge them) from flooding the primary of the other party and nominating some buffoon that has no chance of winning then general election.

BTW...there is nothing that states a party has to have a primary.

 

Independent voters usually lean one way or another, why would either party want to exclude them?

Smaller and smaller numbers are deciding who gets in, not very Democratic.