Over 10,500 ballots were cast by 17-year-olds in Colorado’s presidential primary election last week, marking the first time younger voters could participate.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office announced Monday that registered 17-year-old voters had 45 percent participation, with 10,634 out of 23,504 registered voters that age casting ballots.
Among those who voted, over 6,800 voted in the Democratic primary while over 3,200 voted in the Republican primary.
“As the youngest Secretary of State in the country, it is important to me that young people’s voices are heard in Colorado elections,” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement.
Colorado along with 17 other states allow for eligible 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if their birthdays occur between the primary and general elections. The law allowing eligible 17-year-olds to vote took effect last year.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., won the state’s Democratic presidential primary last week, taking 35.9 percent of the vote over former Vice President Joe Biden, who secured 22.2 percent and billionaire Michael Bloomberg with 22.1 percent. Bloomberg and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren have since dropped out of the race.
Despite the win in Colorado, Biden is leading Sanders in the national poll averages ahead of more primaries this week.
