On May 18, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed SB 305. It sets out the details on how Colorado’s new semi-closed primaries will work. In 2016 the voters passed an initiative, saying that independents may choose any party’s primary ballot. However, the initiative did not specify all the details. The bill provides that when an independent asks for a party primary ballot, a record will be kept of his or her choice. That voter will be considered a member of the party whose primary ballot was chosen, but only for a year. Then that voter will be again deemed to be an independent, unless of course the voter fills out a new voter registration form and chooses a party.
Could a voter re-register as an independent right after the primary? (Or at least after the primary is canvassed/certified/etc.?) I see on Ballotpedia:
https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_parties_in_Colorado
that the second way a QPO (qualified political organization) can qualify as a minor party is “if 1,000 or more registered voters designate affiliation with it by July 1 of the election year.”
Anyone can fill out a new voter registration form at any time, to switch.
On the other point, getting 1,000 registrations is not really a method by which a group can become a qualified party, because Colorado won’t keep track of how many people register into a group that is not a qualified party. Getting 1,000 registrations is a method for a party to remain qualified.
A group is free to run a candidate for statewide office, and if that candidate gets 5% then the group becomes a qualified party. Also a group is free to submit 10,000 signatures to become a qualified party.