As we quickly approach the 2018 election year, I would like to highlight some very important details regarding caucus, the primary election and the general election.
All active registered voters will automatically receive a mail ballot for every election the county clerk conducts. There are no polling places.
If you prefer to vote in person, you may surrender your mail ballot and vote at any of the three Voter Service and Polling Centers in La Plata County. At a center, you may also drop off your voted mail ballot, obtain a replacement ballot, register to vote or update your registration.
As long as you have been a Colorado resident for 22 days before an election, you may register to vote, even on election day. If you have not registered before, and have a Colorado Driver’s License or identification card, you may use the online option to register for the first time. Your address must be current because ballots cannot be forwarded. Stop by our office or govotecolorado.com to update your registration and address.
Caucuses are local neighborhood meetings of registered voters held every general election year. Caucuses are conducted by the political parties. Not all political parties will conduct a caucus. Caucuses are held in locations across Colorado and are open to the public.
The Democratic and Republican Party precinct caucuses are Tuesday, March 6, and the last day to affiliate with a major party in order to vote in the precinct caucuses is Jan. 8. The last day to update your voter information for your precinct is Feb. 5.
The county assembly is convened to designate candidates for local office to the primary election, to select delegates to the district and state assemblies and to vote on party resolutions. Delegates to state and district assemblies will vote to elect delegates to national political conventions and will vote on political party platforms.
The La Plata County Clerk and Recorder does not conduct or provide ballots for caucuses; however, every active registered voter will receive a notice in February with their assigned precinct number. Voters do not need to re-register to vote in their caucus if their address and other voter information are current.
For more information, contact your local political party: La Plata County Democratic Party at laplatadems.org and the La Plata County Republican Party at laplatacountygop.org
Primary Elections are the method in which a political party nominates candidates for an upcoming general election. Active registered voters who are affiliated with the Democratic or Republican parties will receive a mail ballot for the primary election with their specific party ballot enclosed.
Unaffiliated voters will receive a mail ballot packet with both the Democratic and Republican parties’ ballots. The voter can only vote one of the ballots. If both ballots are voted and returned, the entire ballot packet will be voided. If an unaffiliated voter chooses to affiliate with one of the parties they may do so through election day.
We must provide primary ballots to both parties even if only one party has contested races, so you may receive a party ballot with no contests. You do not have to vote in the primary election to be eligible to vote in the general election.
All active registered voters will receive a mail ballot for the general election the week of Oct. 15. Voters are eligible to vote on all candidates and measures that will be provided in this mail ballot packet.
For more information, please visit laplatacountyclerk.org or call the clerk’s office at 382-6296.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”
Tiffany Lee Parker is the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder. Reach her at 382-6294.
