The next primary election could cost La Plata County as much as 33 percent more than in 2016 because of two state rules approved by Colorado voters last fall. Both measures include unaffiliated voters in primary elections.
Proposition 107 allows those voters to cast ballots in March presidential primary elections every four years without declaring a party. Proposition 108 includes those electors in regular primary elections in June every two years, and enables a party to select its candidates by assembly or convention under some circumstances rather than by primary election.
Both are expected to be expensive and confusing adaptations for counties, and there remain unknowns about exact costs and complications.
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Parker is part of a state implementation working group that includes representation from nine Colorado counties.
“With the presidential primary, obviously, we have a couple years to work through this,” she told county commissioners Wednesday. “It’s not as urgent as Proposition 108, which we’re implementing this year.”
The June 2016 primary cost the county $47,208, with 26,727 active, registered voters. If the voter count rises to 36,000 by the next primary, in June 2018, as anticipated, Parker estimates the cost would be about $62,720.
The state does not reimburse for regular primary elections.
Parker estimates there could be 38,000 active voters in the March 2020 presidential primary at a cost of $67,260.
Starting in 2020, the state will reimburse counties of La Plata County’s size 80 cents per voter in presidential primaries, which falls short of La Plata County’s $1.77 cost per voter. And that cost applies to every individual who receives a ballot. “It doesn’t begin to cover the cost, but it does help,” Parker said.
Secretary of State Wayne Williams testified to the state Joint Budget Committee this year that counties should receive full reimbursement in presidential primary elections.
“The initiative places the costs mostly on the counties, some of whom don’t have a lot of extra money, some of whom haven’t benefitted from Colorado’s economic recovery,” Williams said. “When you get out to rural Colorado, you don’t see lots of cranes building things. You see buildings that have been abandoned. You see places that are struggling. Those rural counties don’t have the ability to fund a third election in a presidential year.”
Parker reiterated worries that the new ballots will confuse voters. Unaffiliated voters will receive ballots with both Democrat and Republican candidates, but they can vote only within one party; crossing party lines would disqualify the ballot.
“That’s where I’m so concerned about making voters understand,” Parker said. “To have to void a ballot is really disheartening.”
One option is sending a different color ballot envelope to unaffiliated voters to alert the election office to be aware of the difference. The election office also will need new equipment capable of tallying ballots in the new format.
Parker has further concerns about public notification if one party’s ballot is canceled because there is only one candidate for that party. Those notices would mean an additional cost. “The workload on our side is going to be significant,” she said.
jpace@durangoherald.com