Colorado is the latest state to put election overhaul on 2024 ballot

Colorado voters will decide this November whether to change how leaders are elected, part of a record-setting number of election-related ballot initiatives nationwide this year.

Why it matters: All-candidate primaries and ranked-choice voting are gaining momentum as advocates call for fairer elections that don't cater to partisan extremes.

The big picture: Open primaries, in which candidates from all parties compete to advance to the general election, are on the ballot in Idaho, Nevada and South Dakota. Similar measures in Arizona , Montana and Washington, D.C. are expected to qualify, according to Unite America, the group behind the push.

• All together, nearly 1.5 million voters in those states endorsed revamping elections by signing petitions to get the measures on the ballot.

What they're saying: "With a record number of initiatives, 2024 is proving to be the year that Americans realized primaries are the problem," said Nick Troiano, the organization's executive director, in a statement.

Zoom in: Colorado's is one of the most ambitious election overhaul efforts.

• Under a measure that qualified for the ballot Thursday, voters will decide whether to abolish party primaries — in which Republicans pick the Republican nominee and Democrats select theirs — in favor of an open system in which all candidates run together.
• The top four candidates would advance to the general election, where the winner must receive more than 50% of the vote. A new instant-runoff system through ranked-choice voting would decide the race.
• It would take effect in 2026 and apply to all races overseen by the state, from U.S. Senate to district attorney.

The other side: Colorado's mail-ballot voting system is considered a gold standard in terms of accessibility and security, and it often produces one of the highest turnouts each election.

• The two major political parties are united in their opposition to Initiative 310 because it will weaken their power in picking candidates for the November ballot

Yes, but: In Colorado's primary elections, only the members of the party and unaffiliated voters can participate, leading to lower turnout and candidates elected with just a fraction of support from their district.

Moreover, partisan stacked districts mean just 18% of the voting-eligible population effectively picks their members of the U.S. House.

• At the state level, 84% of Colorado House seats are dominated by one party, the race is considered uncompetitive after the primary — one factor that makes the Legislature so politically polarized .

The bottom line: This election not only will decide the nation's next leaders but also how they should be elected in the future.