SB17-305 Summary: Primary Election Modifications

• Unaffiliated electors must specify which political party's primary ballot they wish to receive when voting by mail in primary elections.

• County clerks must mail ballot packets containing all major political parties' ballots to unaffiliated voters, with clear written instructions that voters may cast only one party's ballot.

• Multiple ballots returned by the same unaffiliated elector are rejected and not counted; ballots must be clearly labeled to prevent voter confusion between parties.

• Presidential primary election candidate filing deadline changes from January 2nd to 85 days before the election, and ballot challenges move from the Secretary of State to district court jurisdiction.

• $157,796 appropriated from the Department of State cash fund for the 2017-18 fiscal year to cover information technology services needed to implement these changes.