Week 6: So many unaffiliated voters in Colorado!

Dear Colorado Voter,

Happy Official Spring (though it seems like summer already)!

On Monday the Colorado Sun posted Jesse Paul's article "Colorado's growing share of unaffiliated voters is making it harder for [major-party] candidates to get on the ballot": https://coloradosun.com/2026/03/23/colorado-signature-gathering-candidates-ballot-access/ — I helpfully clarified in brackets in the headline that ballot access via petition is only becoming harder for major-party candidates. The gist of the article is that voters who can sign a Republican or Democratic Party candidate petition are becoming scarcer and scarcer, especially in state house and senate districts.

Unaffiliated candidates need to get signatures equivalent to 2% of the electorate in the previous general election, and ANYBODY can sign regardless of party affiliation or lack of affiliation. There are zero unaffiliated or minor-party members of the state legislature, but I'm happy to report that there are at least 2 county clerks who are unaffiliated, including the president-elect of the Colorado County Clerks Association. I'm happy because I want county clerks and secretaries of state to be nonpartisan.

Jesse Paul's article also mentioned Prop 131's effort to involve all voters and all candidates in the primary (and to ensure competitive contests in the general election). Senator Michael Bennet was outspoken in his opposition to Prop 131. My friend Neal McBurnett and I wrote this rebuttal to Bennet's letter: https://www.celeste4sos.com/_files/ugd/023c73_e3f02d11034f49fabe30195b8a73327f.pdf

(Please note that the League of Women Voters (LWV) never endorses candidates so the LWV name on the rebuttal does not imply endorsement of my candidacy.)

Did you know that practically every day there is a new social media post or an addition to my website's Home or News pages? (For instance, if you live in Boulder or Weld County, I hope to see you on Friday afternoon in Erie.) I hope you'll check in to my campaign regularly and continue spreading the word about my candidacy.

With enthusiasm and purpose,

Celeste