Clerk certifies Larimer County primary; turnout 36.8% and new "Life of a Ballot" tour announced

Tina Harris, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder, told the Board on July 28 that the county completed a risk-limiting audit on July 14 and certified the 2026 primary on July 17. Harris said 269,670 residents were eligible to vote, 99,236 ballots were tabulated for a 36.8% turnout, and the county accepted 97,845 mail and drop-box ballots; 1,931 mail/drop-box ballots were rejected for reasons such as missing signatures or late arrival. "We completed the risk limiting audit on July 14, and everything came out just fine," Harris said.

Harris urged voters to register and update contact details, use one of the county's 24 secure drop boxes where possible, and vote early. She announced a voter-education initiative, a virtual "Life of a Ballot" tour of the central count facility expected to launch around Sept. 1, to show how ballots are handled and increase public confidence ahead of the November general election. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about curable ballots and turnout trends; Harris explained that voters have eight days after election day to cure signature problems and noted some rejection reasons in primaries (for example, unaffiliated voters submitting both party ballots) are not curable.