Colorado GOP Wins Challenge to State’s Semi-Open Primary System

Colorado’s semi-open primary system violates major political parties’ First Amendment rights, a federal court ruled in a win for the state GOP.

The state law gives parties an opt-out from a system that allows unaffiliated voters in: a four-fifths vote by party members, which the state GOP hasn’t been able to reach on multiple attempts. That’s too high of a hurdle for Republicans hoping to protect their process from surging numbers of independent voters that could one day “raid” the primary, US District Court for the District of Colorado Judge Philip A. Brimmer ruled Tuesday.

The “Party has shown a ...