Colorado voters overwhelmingly agree that free and fair elections are central to the state’s identity, but they are sharply divided along party lines over whether they trust the people who administer them.
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The findings come from a new Colorado Polling Institute survey of 655 registered voters conducted June 26 to July 1 by New Bridge Strategy, a Republican polling firm, and Aspect Strategic, a Democratic firm. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The survey found 98% of voters consider ensuring free and fair elections an important Colorado ideal, including 89% who said it is very important. That view crossed party lines, with 92% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats saying free and fair elections are very important.
But the parties split when voters were asked whether they trust Colorado election administrators to do the right thing.
A little over half of respondents said they trust election administrators, while 28% said they do not. Trust was highest among Democrats at 73%, followed by unaffiliated voters at 57%. Only about a third of Republicans said they trust election administrators, and a majority said they distrust them.
“If we're looking for a pocket of the electorate where there is some concentrated distrust, despite the fact that they tell us at the same time that free and fair elections are very important, that's where we see the biggest gap,” said Kevin Ingham, founder of Aspect Strategic.
The CPI survey period spanned Colorado’s June 30 primary, which saw a surge in voter turnout compared to recent election cycles.
Coloradans expressed little confidence in the federal government. Only 18% said they trust it to do the right thing, while nearly two-thirds said they do not. Voters were more closely divided over state government, with 45% saying they trust it and 41% saying they do not.
The poll also found broad agreement on other principles voters consider important to Colorado.
Nearly all respondents said the state should be a place where people can afford to live and work, the rights of all residents are important, and freedom and personal choice are integral to the Colorado way of life. Protecting Colorado’s lands, waters and wildlife ranked highest among the values surveyed.
Despite the political divisions, 70% of voters said Coloradans have more in common than what divides them. About two-thirds said Colorado’s best days are still ahead, unchanged from the institute’s November 2024 survey.
“We found a great deal of agreement across party lines, not just in views of these founding ideals for the state,” said Lori Weigel, director of New Bridge Strategy. “Throughout much of the data, it was a common theme that once we're getting away from sort of the tit for tat of issues that are really challenging today, the people had a great deal of agreement.”
The findings also show 80% of respondents believe the American Dream is harder to achieve today than it was a generation ago. That concern was consistent across age groups and income levels.
The CPI poll was conducted as Colorado prepares to mark its 150th anniversary of statehood on Aug. 1. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they are proud to be Coloradans, compared with 75% who said they are proud to be Americans.
The survey was conducted in conjunction with Rose Community Foundation and the Daniels Fund.
