2024 Colorado Proposition 131

2024 Colorado Proposition 131 was a proposed ballot measure that appeared before voters in Colorado during the 2024 general election. The citizen initiated proposition would have replaced Colorado's partisan primaries with non-partisan blanket primaries and would have implemented ranked-choice (instant-runoff) voting for most statewide and state legislative general elections in which the top four candidates in the primary would have qualified for the general election ballot.

Background Currently, Colorado uses partisan primaries to select who appears on general election ballots and a first past the post voting system like most US states. Had Proposition 131 passed, Colorado would have switched to a system of blanket primaries and ranked choice general elections. Similar systems were adopted by Maine in 2016 and Alaska in 2020. The proposition was initiated by citizen petition, largely funded by health care executive Kent Thiry. Similar proposals were on the ballot in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon, funded by a network of donors of which Thiry is a part.

In 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed into law Senate Bill 210 which heightened requirements for the adoption of ranked choice voting in Colorado. Specifically, the law requires that at least 12 communities of various required sizes adopt ranked choice voting at a local level before it can be implemented statewide. This made it unclear how quickly ranked choice voting would have been implemented in Colorado had Proposition 131 passed. However, Polis had committed to ensuring ranked choice voting was put into effect by the 2028 election if voters approved the proposition. In addition, Polis endorsed the measure.

Contents The proposition appeared on the ballot as follows:

Campaigns Support The campaign in support of Proposition 131 was led by Colorado Voters First. Additionally, Colorado's official voter guide offered the arguments in support of Proposition 131 that a blanket primary system would create an equal opportunity for everyone to participate in primary elections, increase voter turnout in primaries, and make general elections more competitive. It also offered that ranking candidates in order of preference in general elections gives voters more choices, minimizes the spoiler effect, and results in outcomes that better reflect the will of the voters.

Opposition There were two main groups leading opposition against Proposition 131: Voters Rights Colorado and First Choice Counts. Colorado's official voter guide also offered the arguments against Proposition 131 that the measure will make elections more expensive, confuse voters, and weaken faith in the outcomes of Colorado elections. Additionally, it offered that political parties should have separate primaries, with unaffiliated voters already being able to participate in Colorado's primary system, and a blanket primary system would result in more expensive primary campaigns.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error For Against UndecidedYouGovOctober 18–30, 2024754 (LV)± 4.5%45%33%22%Keating ResearchAugust 28 – September 1, 2024400 (LV)± 3.5%56%21%23%

Results Proposition 131 required a simple majority to pass. It failed, only receiving 46% of the vote.

Results by county County For Against Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Adams 107,637 50.28% 106,454 49.72% 1,183 0.55% 214,091 Alamosa 3,130 44.67% 3,877 55.33% -747 -10.66% 7,007 Arapahoe 144,974 47.83% 158,100 52.17% -13,126 -4.33% 303,074 Archuleta 3,809 43.76% 4,895 56.24% -1,086 -12.48% 8,704 Baca526 27.93% 1,357 72.07% -831 -44.13% 1,883 Bent837 40.03% 1,254 59.97% -417 -19.94% 2,091 Boulder 87,425 48.02% 94,626 51.98% -7,201 -3.96% 182,051 Broomfield 20,985 48.21% 22,541 51.79% -1,556 -3.57% 43,526 Chaffee 6,308 46.46% 7,268 53.54% -960 -7.07% 13,576 Cheyenne251 24.80%761 75.20% -510 -50.40% 1,012 Clear Creek 2,773 49.19% 2,864 50.81% -91 -1.61% 5,637 Conejos 1,423 36.64% 2,461 63.36% -1,038 -26.73% 3,884 Costilla908 47.74%994 52.26% -86 -4.52% 1,902 Crowley609 36.95% 1,039 63.05% -430 -26.09% 1,648 Custer 1,304 35.39% 2,381 64.61% -1,077 -29.23% 3,685 Delta 7,128 38.19% 11,536 61.81% -4,408 -23.62% 18,664 Denver 180,060 53.81% 154,578 46.19% 25,482 7.61% 334,638 Dolores446 33.74%876 66.26% -430 -32.53% 1,322 Douglas 92,669 40.57% 135,721 59.43% -43,052 -18.85% 228,390 Eagle 12,544 49.19% 12,958 50.81% -414 -1.62% 25,502 El Paso 163,032 45.35% 196,484 54.65% -33,452 -9.30% 359,516 Elbert 6,708 34.50% 12,738 65.50% -6,030 -31.01% 19,446 Fremont 10,105 42.01% 13,949 57.99% -3,844 -15.98% 24,054 Garfield 12,385 43.47% 16,103 56.53% -3,718 -13.05% 28,488 Gilpin 1,831 46.67% 2,092 53.33% -261 -6.65% 3,923 Grand 4,198 44.88% 5,155 55.12% -957 -10.23% 9,353 Gunnison 4,939 48.82% 5,177 51.18% -238 -2.35% 10,116 Hinsdale234 40.84%339 59.16% -105 -18.32%573 Huerfano 1,835 43.66% 2,368 56.34% -533 -12.68% 4,203 Jackson280 35.76%503 64.24% -223 -28.48%783 Jefferson 160,907 47.17% 180,181 52.83% -19,274 -5.65% 341,088 Kiowa204 25.19%606 74.81% -402 -49.63%810 Kit Carson 1,054 30.21% 2,435 69.79% -1,381 -39.58% 3,489 La Plata 15,396 46.86% 17,457 53.14% -2,061 -6.27% 32,853 Lake 1,899 52.49% 1,719 47.51% 180 4.98% 3,618 Larimer 101,724 48.40% 108,430 51.60% -6,706 -3.19% 210,154 Las Animas 3,259 44.32% 4,094 55.68% -835 -11.36% 7,353 Lincoln792 31.95% 1,687 68.05% -895 -36.10% 2,479 Logan 3,275 34.10% 6,330 65.90% -3,055 -31.81% 9,605 Mesa 35,790 41.77% 49,886 58.23% -14,096 -16.45% 85,676 Mineral311 43.50%404 56.50% -93 -13.01%715 Moffat 2,145 34.73% 4,031 65.27% -1,886 -30.54% 6,176 Montezuma 5,463 38.67% 8,666 61.33% -3,203 -22.67% 14,129 Montrose 8,310 34.57% 15,725 65.43% -7,415 -30.85% 24,035 Morgan 4,819 37.71% 7,959 62.29% -3,140 -24.57% 12,778 Otero 3,342 39.06% 5,214 60.94% -1,872 -21.88% 8,556 Ouray 1,714 44.24% 2,160 55.76% -446 -11.51% 3,874 Park 4,859 42.15% 6,668 57.85% -1,809 -15.69% 11,527 Phillips669 30.83% 1,501 69.17% -832 -38.34% 2,170 Pitkin 4,475 44.87% 5,499 55.13% -1,024 -10.27% 9,974 Prowers 1,630 33.52% 3,233 66.48% -1,603 -32.96% 4,863 Pueblo 35,967 44.38% 45,074 55.62% -9,107 -11.24% 81,041 Rio Blanco 1,087 31.16% 2,401 68.84% -1,314 -37.67% 3,488 Rio Grande 2,483 41.80% 3,457 58.20% -974 -16.40% 5,940 Routt 7,456 49.24% 7,687 50.76% -231 -1.53% 15,143 Saguache 1,487 46.98% 1,678 53.02% -191 -6.03% 3,165 San Juan270 51.43%255 48.57% 15 2.86%525 San Miguel 2,201 51.40% 2,081 48.60% 120 2.80% 4,282 Sedgwick419 33.57%829 66.43% -410 -32.85% 1,248 Summit 8,275 51.70% 7,732 48.30% 543 3.39% 16,007 Teller 5,863 37.85% 9,628 62.15% -3,765 -24.30% 15,491 Washington752 28.03% 1,931 71.97% -1,179 -43.94% 2,683 Weld 74,119 44.07% 94,084 55.93% -19,965 -11.87% 168,203 Yuma 1,351 30.46% 3,085 69.54% -1,734 -39.09% 4,436Total 1,385,06046.47%1,595,25653.53%-210,196-7.05%2,980,316

2024 Colorado Proposition 131

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