Want to Vote by Mail in the Presidential Primary? Check This Deadline.

Colorado has seen a half-dozen Democratic presidential candidates, as well as incumbent Donald Trump, campaign in the state over the past week, in advance of the presidential primary coming up on March 3, the first Super Tuesday in which Colorado has participated.

Inspired to cast a ballot? The primary is still eight days away, but there's not a moment to lose if you have not yet registered to vote...much less received a ballot in the mail. According to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, February 24 is the "last day for an individual to submit a voter registration application and still receive a ballot in the mail for the March 3rd Presidential Primary Election."

If you're already registered as an unaffiliated voter, want to vote in one of the major party's primaries, and didn't receive ballots (they were mailed out two weeks ago), this is your last day to request them by mail. For the first time this year, unaffiliated voters can turn in a primary ballot — but only one (fill out both the Republican and Democrat ballots, and they'll cancel each other out). If you miss today's deadline, you'll still be able to go to a Voter Services and Polling Center (those open today), declare which party's ballot you'd like, and vote in the primary; your registration will remain unaffiliated.

If you're registered with a major party and didn't get a ballot, today is the last day to request a replacement by mail, or you, too, can go to a voting center through March 3.

You can also still register to vote up through March 3. For the first time, seventeen-year-olds may be eligible to participate; voters who will be eighteen by the November 3 general election are eligible for the primary.

Remember: Under changes approved in November 2018, voters registered as Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated can participate in the presidential primary. The deadline to change party affiliations in order to vote in the primary was February 3, which means it's too late for a voter affiliated with a minor party to switch affiliations this round. (None of the minor parties have a contest on March 3.)

If you need more information, try the Denver Presidential Primary Election Page, or the Colorado Secretary of State's GoVote page.

(And think this is confusing? Changes in Colorado's presidential primary don't affect the rules for local and state candidates going through the Colorado Caucus, set for March 7.)