COLORADO 9 Electoral Votes 
link to clickable map
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado Secretary of State)
Total Resident Population, July 1, 2016 est.
5,540,545
Total Registration, Nov. 2016
3,840,159 >

Dem. 1,063,459 (27.69%)   Rep. 1,054,767 (27.47%)   Unaff. 1,171,608 (30.51%)   Lib. 39,608 (1.03%)   Grn. 11,835 (0.31%)   ACN 10,369 (0.27%)   UNI 915
Colorado has: 64 counties.

Counties over 500,000: El Paso, Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson.
Cities over 250,000: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora. 

Government
Governor: John Hickenlooper (D) elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014.
State Legislature: Colorado General Assembly   House: 65 seats  Senate: 35 seats
Local: Local Governments   NACO
U.S. House: 4R, 3D - 1. D.DeGette (D) | 2. J.Polis (D) | 3. S.Tipton (R) | 4. K.Buck (R) | 5. D.Lamborn (R) | 6. M.Coffman (R) | 7. E.Perlmutter (D). >
U.S. Senate: Cory Gardner (R) elected in 2014, Michael Bennet (D) appointed Jan. 2009; elected in 2010, seeking re-election in 2016.
2016
U.S. Senate: Sen. Michael Bennet (D) defeated Darryl Glenn (R) by 1,370,710 (49.97%) to 1,215,318 (44.31%) followed by Lily Tang Williams (L) at 99,277 (3.62%), Arn Menconi (G), at 36,805 (1.34%) and Bill Hammons (Unity), Dan Chapin (I) and Paul Noel Fiorino (I) rounding out the field.
U.S. House: All seven House Members were re-elected.  Attention again focused on CD-6, covering the eastern part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area.  Incumbent Rep. Mike Coffiman (R) defeated State Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll (D) by 50.91% to 42.60%; also running were Robert Lee Worthey (G) and Norm Olsen (L).
State Legislature: 18 of 35 Senate seats and all 65 House seats were up.  In the Senate the balance stayed at 18R, 17D.  In the House Democrats expanded their lead from 34D, 31R to 37D, 28R.
Ballot Measures:
Nine ballot measures qualified for the ballot. 
By a 78.8% to 21.2% margin, voters rejected Amendment 69, which would have created a state health insurance provider funded by a premium tax on income (yes | no). They also defeated Amendment 72 to increase the tobacco tax, and Amendments T and U. 
Voters approved Amendment 70 to increase the state minimum wage to $12 by 2020 (yes | no);
Amendment 71 to make it more difficult to amend the Colorado consititution by citizen-initiated amendments (yes | no); Proposition 106 the "End of Life Options Act," to sanction medical aid in dying (yes | no); Proposition 106 to  allow unaffiliated voters to vote in party primary elections; and Proposition 107 to restore a presidential primary election before the end of March and allow unaffiliated voters to participate.
Proposed amendments to give local government authority to regulate oil and gas development (I-75) and increase the buffer zone around such developments (I-78) did not qualify for the ballot. (>)

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The Centennial State

General Election -- Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,978,892.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.9%.

Colorado law allows residents to register to vote through Election Day.


Permanent Mail-in: Ballots may be sent to voters starting Oct.17, 2016 (22 days before the Election)
Early Voting at Early Voting Polling Places
: Oct. 24, 2016-Nov. 8, 2016
(15 days before the Election)      full calendar [PDF]

3,151,275 ballots were mailed.
- 2,677,563 mail ballots were returned.
- 206,585 in-person voters (about 7%).
- approx. 29,000 UOCAVA ballots.
2,884,148 ballots cast (+).

Registration: Dem. 1,063,459 (27.69%)   Rep. 1,054,767 (27.47%)   Unaff. 1,171,608 (30.51%)   Lib. 39,608 (1.03%)   Grn. 11,835 (0.31%)   ACN 10,369 (0.27%)   UNI 915   ...Total 3,840,159 >
Official Results >

 
+Clinton/Kaine (Dem.)
1,338,870
(48.16)
Trump/Pence (Rep.)
1,202,484
(43.25)
Castle/Bradley (ACN)
11,699
(0.42)
Johnson/Weld (Lib.)
144,121
(5.18)
Stein/Baraka (Grn.)
38,437
(1.38)
Keniston/Taylor (VPA)
5,028
(0.18)
McMullin/Johnson (IAP)
28,917
(1.04)
15 cands. w/ < 0.10% of vote ea.
10,664
(0.38)
Total........2,780,220

Atwood/Huber (AVP) 337 - De La Fuente/Steinberg (ADP) 1,255 -  Hedges/Bayes (PRO) 185 - Hoefling/Schulin (AMP) 710 - Kennedy/Hart (SWP) 452 - Kopitke/Sorenson (IAP) 1,096 - Kotlikoff/ Learner (KFP) 392 - La Riva/Banks (SAL) 531 - Lyttle/Walsh (NP) 382 - Maldonado/Terranova (IPC) 872 - Maturen/Munoz (ASP) 862 - Scott/Barnard (UAF) 749 - Silva/Silva (NTR) 751 - Smith/White (UAF) 1,819 - Soltysik/Walker 271.

Ballots cast:  2,884,148.
Overview: Colorado was a semi-battleground state.  The Clinton campaign seemed fairly confident here; it stopped running ads in July and the principals made just a handful of visits.  Meanwhile, the Trump campaign plied the state with visits, focusing particularly on the Colorado Springs area.
   The Latino vote is an important demographic in Colorado.  According to the Pew Research Center (+), the state has a Hispanic population of about 1.1 million, accounting for 21% of the total population.  550,000 of these are eligible to vote, or 14.5% of the total eligible to vote.  NALEO projected a Latino vote in Nov. 2016 of 277,500. 

   A number of controversial ballot measures may have helped boost turnout, which, based on voting eligible population (VEP), was the third highest in the country after Minnesota and New Hampshire.  The presidential ballot had 22 candidates.

   The Clinton-Kaine ticket carried 22 counties to 42 for Trump-Pence, achieving a plurality of 136,386 votes (4.91 percentage points).
   Colorado figured in the post-election Electoral College maneuvering, as two electors filed suit challenging the state's law binding electors.  Their efforts proved unsuccessful, but when the electors met on Dec. 19 one elector, Michael Baca, was replaced after he attempted to vote for John Kasich.
General Election Visits
Clinton  | 
Trump
BALLOT [PDF]
[State Primary Election: June 28, 2016]
Republican Precinct Caucuses -- Tuesday, March 1, 2016 but no straw poll. 
Republican Congressional Assemblies and State Convention -- April 2016
Democratic Precinct Caucuses -- Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Democrats
59 Delegates: 43 District, 14 At-Large, 9 PLEO, 12 Unpledged.

details

Republicans
34 Delegates: 3 RNC; 10 at-large; 21 by CD (3 x 7).

details


General Election Winners in Colorado, 1992-2012
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012
Clinton
40.13%
Dole
45.80%
Bush
50.75%
Bush
51.71%
Obama
53.66%
Obama
51.49%
  and the details...
 
General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,654,045.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 70.3%.

Permanent Mail-in: Ballots may be sent to voters starting Oct. 15, 2012 (22 days before the Election)
Early Voting at Early Voting Polling Places
: Oct. 22, 2012-Nov. 2, 2012
(22 days before the Election)         full calendar [PDF]

-Mail-in Ballots: 2,158,867 mail in ballots were sent out and 1,868,867 mail-in ballots were received and accepted, including 633,024 Democratic and 656,650 Republican.
-Early Vote: 250,803 early vote ballots were cast, including 85,623 Democratic and 86,954 Republican.


Registration: Rep. 925,785 (33.67%)   Dem. 887,470 (32.28%)   Unaff. 900,490 (32.75%)    Lib. 19,585 (0.71%)   Grn. 7,197    ACN 5,702    other 3,017   ...Total 2,749,246
Registration Deadline: Oct. 9, 2012
Official Results >

 
Goode/Clymer (Const.) 6,234
(0.24)
+Obama/Biden (Dem.)
1,323,101
(51.49)
Romney/Ryan (Rep.)
1,185,243
(46.13)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.) 35,545
(1.38)
Stein/Honkala (Grn.) 7,508
(0.29)
Anderson/Rodriguez (Jus.)
1,262
(0.05)
Barr/Sheehan (P&F)
5,057
(0.20)
Reed/Cary (Una.)
2,588
(0.10)
8 cands. w/ < 1,000 votes ea.
2,978
(0.12)
Total........2,569,516

 SOS


Alexander/Mendoza (SPU) 308  -  Harris/Kennedy (SWP) 192  -  Hoefling/Ellis (AMP) 679  -  La Riva/Ramirez (SLB) 317  -  Miller/Bertram (ATP) 267  -  Stevens/Link (Obj.) 235  -  Tittle/Turner (WTP) 791  -  White/Scherrer (SEP) 189.  Also note Randall Terry/Missy Reilly Smith secured 4 votes as write-in candidates, not included in above total.
2012 Overview 
Colorado was very much a battleground state, and according to the United States Election Project at George Mason University, the state had the third highest turnout as a percentage of voting eligible population (after Minnesota and Wisconsin).  Obama's plurality was reduced to 137,858 votes (5.36 percentage points); he carried 27 counties to 37 for Romney-Ryan.
General Election Details
Obama  | 
Romney
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,441,907.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 69.8%.

Early voting: Begins at the early voters' polling place for the general election on Oct. 20, 2008 (15 days before the election) and runs through Oct. 31, 2008.

Mail-In Ballots Sent

   1,633,190

61.9%

Mail-In Ballots Rec'd    

1,339,065

50.8%

Early Voting Ballots Cast

365,215

13.8%

as a percent of 2,638,211 active reg. voters.


   MIB

EV

Dem.

376,716

111,859

Rep.

370,247

 95,622


RegistrationRep. 892,791 (34.00%)   Dem. 902,444 (34.36%)   Unaff. 814,281 (31.01%)    Lib. 9,489 (0.36%)   Grn. 5,526 (0.21%)   ACN 1,461 (0.05%)  UPA 183  ...Total 2,626,175
Registration deadline: Oct. 6, 2008 (no later than 29 days before the election).
Official Results >


McCain/Palin (Rep.)
1,073,589
(44.71)
+Obama/Biden (Dem.)
1,288,576
(53.66)
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)
6,233
(0.26)
Barr/Root (Lib.)
10,897
(0.45)
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)
2,822
(0.12)
Allen/Stath (HQK)
348
Amondson/Pletten (Pro.)
85

Harris/Kennedy (SWP)
154

Jay/Sallis (BTP)
598

Keyes/Rohrbough (AIP)
3,051
(0.13)
La Riva/Moses (SL)
158

Lyttle/Bassford (USP)
110

McEnulty/Mangan (Unaff.)
828

Moore/Alexander (Soc.)
226

Nader/Gonzalez (Unaff.)
13,350
(0.56)
Stevens/Link (Obj.)
336

Total........2,401,361

16 candidates on the ballot.
2008 Overview
In the battleground state of Colorado, the Obama-Biden ticket gained a plurality of 214,984 votes (8.95 percentage points), carrying 26 counties to 38 for McCain-Palin.
General Election Details
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader

The 2008 Democratic National Convention was held at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Aug. 25-28, 2008.
The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was held at the Sheraton Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark) in Denver on May 22-26, 2008.


General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,192,647.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 66.7%.

Early voting at the early voters' polling place: Oct. 18-29, 2004.

According to unofficial statistics reported by county clerks and recorders 51,529 provisional ballots were cast, of which 39,086 were counted and 12,443 rejected.

Registration: Rep. 1,125,374 (36.13%)   Dem. 947,866 (30.43%)    Unaff. 1,028,886 (33.03%)   Others 12,440 (0.40%)  ...Total 3,114,566.
Registration Deadline: Oct. 4, 2004.
Official Results

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
1,101,255
(51.71)
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 
1,001,732
(47.04)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 7,664 (0.36)
Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.)  1,591
(0.07)
Nader/Camejo (CRP)
12,718
(0.60)
Peroutka/Baldwin (ACP)
2,562
(0.12)
Amondson/Pletten (COP)
378
(0.02)
Andress/Deasy (Un.)
804
(0.04)
Brown/Hollis (SP)
216
(0.01)
Dodge/Lydick (Prohib.)
140
(0.01)
Harris/Trowe (SWP)
241
(0.01)
Van Auken/Lawrence (SEP)
329
(0.02)
Total........2,129,630


2004 Overview
Democrats made a play for Colorado, and although the brothers Salazar picked up the open U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats, the Kerry-Edwards ticket fell short.  Bush achieved a plurality of 99,523 votes (4.67 percentage points).
General Election Details
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush-Cheney '04

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,026,316.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 57.5%.

Early voting ran from Oct. 23, 2000 (15 days before the election) to Nov. 3, 2000 (Friday before the election).

Registration: Rep. 1,022,019 (35.44%)   Dem. 863,740 (29.95%)   Lib. 4,378 (0.15%)   Grn. 3,237 (0.11%)   NLP 1,204 (0.04%)  Unaff. 989,370 (34.31)  ...Total 2,883,948.

Official Results

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
883,748
 (50.75)
Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)
738,227
(42.39)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
12,799
(0.73)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)
2,240
(0.13)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
91,434
(5.25)
Phillips/Frazier (Am.C.)
1,319
(0.08)
Buchanan/Foster (Un/Fr.)
10,465
 (0.60)
Dodge/Watkins (Prohib.)
208
(0.01)
Harris/Trowe (SWC)
216
(0.01)
McReynolds/Hollis (SP)
712
 (0.04)
Total........1,741,368


2000 Overview
Bush won Colorado with a plurality of 145,521 votes (8.36 percentage points) and carried 50 of the state's 63 counties. In contrast to 1996, when Colorado experienced a dogfight in the presidential race, the Gore camp did not target the state, making for a quiet general election campaign. During the post-convention period Colorado only merited one visit each from the running mates.  Ralph Nader made a couple of visits after the Greens convention in June (Sept. 8-10 and a final stop on Nov. 2), and his 5.25% proved to be one of his better showings.  Down-ticket there were various initiative campaigns, and Colorado Democrats managed to wrest control of the State Senate from the GOP, for their only legislative chamber pick-up in the country.
General Election Activity
1992 and 1996 General Elections

1992
Clinton (Dem.)........629,681
(40.13)
Bush (Rep.)............562,850
(35.87)
Perot (Ind.).............366,010
(23.32)
Others (2+w/ins).......10,639
(0.68)
Total........1,569,180

1996
Dole (Rep.).............691,848
(45.80)
Clinton (Dem.)........671,152
(44.43)
Perot (Ref.)..............99,629
(6.59)
Nader (Grn.).............25,070
(1.66)
Others (9)................23,005
(1.52)
Total........1,510,704
Archive Pages: 2012 | 2008 | 2004 | 2000