CO Voters New Ballot Measure For Top Four Open Primary

A Colorado Ballot Initiative, would establish a Top-Four Open Primary system similar to Alaska's, cleared a Key hurdle last week, when a Board of State Officials gave it a Title and Ruled that the proposed Constitutional Amendment complied with the Single-Subject requirement. Unless a Voter challenges theBboard's Decisions, Supporters could start gathering Voter Signatures to get the Measure onto November's Ballot, once Secretary of State Jena Griswold's (D) Office creates a Petition Format.

For Elected Federal and State Offices, excluding the Presidency and Judges, the Reform would Replace traditional Party Primaries, with One Primary where All Candidates, regardless of Party, run on a Single Ballot. The Top Four Vote-Getters advance to a General Election using Ra nk-Choice-Voting (RCV). If One of the Top Four Finishers Withdraws or Dies before the General Election Ballots are Printed, the Primary Candidate with the next-highest Nnumber of Votes would take their place.

Colorado currently allows Candidates to get onto their Party's Primary Ballot by gathering Voter Signatures or Winning at least 30% at their Party's Pre-Primary Convention, but this Reform would do away with the latter system, and enable All Voters to sign Petitions for any Candidate.

Another Significant Change would be Abolishing Same-Party Appointments for filling Vacant State-Legislative Seats. Instead, Special Elections would be held using an unspecified Process to be devised by the State, though the Initiative does require that the Winning Candidate obtain a Majority of the Vote.

Once Supporters are cleared to begin gathering Signatures, they would have until No Later than Aug. 5th, to obtain 124,238 Voter Signatures Statewide. and an amount Equal to 2% of Registered Voters in each of the 35 State Senate Districts. If the Proposal qualifies for November's Ballot, it would need at least 55% Support from Voters to Pass.

This Reform effort is being Spearheaded by wealthy former DaVita CEO Kent Thiry, who has spent big to Promote Reforms that supposedly Empower Moderate Voters.

Thiry considered running for Governor in 2018, as an ostensibly Centrist Republican. However, He ultimately chose Not to Run, as the Media reported that DaVita had recently paid nearly $1 billion to settle Federal Investigations into Corruption and alleged efforts to Defraud the Government, though the Company admitted No Wrongdoing.

Since then, the Department of Justice (DOJ) took DaVita and Thiry to Court for allegedly Conspiring with Competitors to Violate Antitrust Law, but a Jury Acquitted them in 2022.

Thiry has given roughly $6 million to support Ballot Initiatives since 2016, and past Ventures include a successful Initiative that year to require Primaries for Presidential Nominations by Abolishing Caucuses, and another to let Unaffiliated Voters to Vote in a Party's Primary, that the GOP is currently Challenging in Court.

He supported Two Successful Measures that Legislators had Unanimously Voted to put on the Ballot, to create Independent Redistricting Commissions for Congressional and Legislative Elections.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker