Success in local elections shows favorable course for Open Primary Initiative

By Guyleen Castriotta and Anna Stout

Especially in times of polarized politics and disenfranchised voters, running for office can be daunting. With the constant barrage of negative campaigning and the challenges of declining voter turnout, it is evident that our traditional electoral process is in decline.

We were fortunate to take a different path to becoming mayors in our respective cities, free of many of the pitfalls that have become so commonplace in modern American elections, and we believe we have become better politicians because of it.

Elections are the fundamental foundation of democracy. They are the voice of the people expressed through the ballot box. And voters have a legitimate desire to have an impact on what happens in their lives and communities and to have confidence in the knowledge that their voice counts.

In Colorado's current statewide election process, that wish is all too often not fulfilled. Voters feel excluded, because most of the time they are.

In a state like Colorado, where nearly half of all voters (48%) are registered as independents, political parties—not the people—determine who gets on the ballot in the primary election. These primaries, with routinely low turnout, pander to a particular party's base and ultimately push candidates further to extreme positions to appeal to those primary voters. This limits the options for the majority of voters, because the general election candidates are determined by a small portion of the electorate in those primaries. The problem is exacerbated in the state's traditionally low-contested districts, where the general election is essentially decided by the minority of voters who participate in the primary.

As the current mayor of Broomfield and former mayor of Grand Junction, we are grateful to have won our offices through a system that bypasses the constraints of partisan primaries and brings more inclusion, fairness, and real choice to the electoral process. Like nearly all other local elected officials in Colorado, we participated in nonpartisan elections that were open to all voters. And as public servants, we represent those very people – all voters.

Based on the belief that all Coloradans deserve meaningful choices in all elections, there is a public initiative on the November ballot called Proposition 131 that gives voters the option to establish nonpartisan open primaries for all Colorado state and federal offices, with the four winners with the most votes – regardless of party affiliation – moving on to a ranked-choice general election. Having experienced similar open elections ourselves, we support this open primary initiative as a way to give power back to voters and promote cooperation among our elected leaders.

Nonpartisan open primaries force politicians to appeal to all voters, not just those of their party. More importantly, election winners must govern in the best interests of all voters, even if that means working across political lines. Open primaries do not provide choice in the way a closed primary system does. They level the playing field and truly liberate voters by establishing uniform rules for everyone.

There's a reason that independent or unaffiliated voters are the dominant “party” in Colorado today, and a reason why turnout in partisan primaries is so low (just 26% of active voters in 2024). Voters are tired of being trapped in groups they find divisive and that don't support core American values ​​of equity and inclusion in democracy. They're disillusioned. And they know we can do better.

We believe that Proposition 131 provides that “improvement.”

Proposition 131 provides for a single open primary, where all candidates compete in the same primary and the four candidates with the most votes advance to the general election. There, voters have the opportunity to rank their top four candidates, and the first candidate to receive a majority of votes (50% + 1) wins. If no one receives a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated and the runners-up for those ballots are redistributed accordingly. This “instant runoff” process is repeated until a winner with a majority is determined.

As moderates, we support allowing voters to rank their votes in elections. This means no one has to cast a “throwaway ballot” and their vote has real impact. This works at the local level – as shown in cities like Boulder, New York City, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City – and it works at the state level – as shown in Maine and Alaska. In fact, voters in the city and county of Broomfield – where one of us is mayor – recently approved ranked choice voting in local elections, which we are very keen to implement. It's worth noting that members of both parties supported this initiative.

Elections should not be about partisanship and exploiting ideological extremes to get elected. They should be about giving people a voice and freedom of choice for the good of our community. Proposition 131 is designed to give voters more power through open primaries and ranked choice voting, and we ask you to join us in supporting this initiative.

Guyleen Castriotta is the mayor of the City and Borough of Broomfield. Anna Stout is the former mayor of the City of Grand Junction and a current council member.