Elsie Buczkowski // Contributing writer
2024 will be a huge election year for the entire globe. From the United States presidential election and multi-day elections in India, to smaller elections like North Macedonia’s presidential election; about 4 billion people around the world will vote this year.
Election season can be intimidating, especially for first-time voters in the U.S.—many of whom are college students. Essential information can become confusing and hard to keep up with. As the general election approaches, here are some things to keep on the radar as a voter in Colorado.
Colorado Representatives
Colorado also continues to make history with the announcement that 5th congressional district representative Doug Lamborn will not seek reelection. This began a shuffle for all three of Colorado’s rural districts that are GOP strongholds.
Representative Lauren Boebert is no longer running as an incumbent for the 3rd district, but instead will be running as a representative for the 4th district. She would be replacing Representative Ken Buck, who announced that he would not be seeking reelection from the Republican party.
DU’s campus is located in the 1st congressional district of Colorado, which is represented by Diana DeGette. She is running for her seat again in 2024 along with Jennifer Qualteri (Republican Party), John Kittleson (Libertarian Party) and Iris Boswell (Green Party Write-in).
Additional elections that will be on the ballot in Colorado in 2024 are Colorado Senate, Colorado House, Colorado Supreme Court, Municipal government, ballot measures and more. All of these elections will be crucial for many of the relevant issues to Coloradans. The top three issues voters want to see addressed by the state government are cost of living, crime/public safety and housing affordability, according to a November survey conducted by the Colorado Polling Institute.
If you are not voting in Colorado, you can find your district and current representative by clicking here.
Presidential Election
This election season has already started making history in the U.S. It started here, in Colorado, when the state’s Supreme Court ruled that former president Donald Trump is not eligible to appear on Colorado’s primary presidential ballot. Maine’s secretary of state soon followed suit with a similar ruling blocking Trump from the ballot.
Colorado’s Supreme Court cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Under the clause, which disallows any member of government from being elected to office after engaging in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. government, Trump is ineligible to be a presidential candidate due to his alleged incitement of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Trump will remain on the ballot for the November Primary in Colorado, but the ruling will likely proceed to the Supreme Court, which includes three justices appointed by the former president. Section 3 was added to the 14th amendment post-Civil War to bar former confederates from running for president. The clause has scarcely been used since then.
This election’s Iowa caucus were held on Jan. 15. A caucus is a form of balloting that helps parties choose their presidential candidate, and the Iowa caucuses are a well-known first test for hopeful presidential candidates. The distinct difference between a caucus and a primary is that caucuses are run by the parties, not the state government.
The caucus revealed overwhelming support in Iowa for a third Trump candidacy, with Ron DeSantis in a far second and Nikki Haley underperforming polls indicating a swell from days before. The night also saw the surrender of Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Trump upon exiting.
More information on the Iowa caucuses can be found here.
With campaign season officially in full swing, it might be impossible to escape the feeling of election fatigue. Experts advise limiting doom scrolling, and cultivating a healthy news diet to balance mental stamina with being an informed voter.
Register to vote here.
Election Dates and Deadlines
Presidential primary: March 5 in person, Feb. 26 by mail.
State primary: June 25 in person, June 17 by mail.
General Election: Nov. 5 in person, Oct. 28 by mail.
