Currently - and by design - most party primary elections are open only to those affiliated with the party, thereby silencing the voices of unaffiliated voters at the very beginning of an election cycle. Opening primaries to all parties, without favor, creates a political landscape in which candidates find themselves accountable to the entire electorate, regardless of party affiliation.
At present, nearly 50% of voters in Colorado are unaffiliated with a political party. We are fortunate in Colorado that unaffiliated voters are allowed to vote in major political party primaries. Ideally, voters affiliated with minor political parties would also be allowed to vote in major political party primaries.