This primary election is poorly attended. Evidence is in the numbers. About 10% of active registered voters are deciding this year’s primaries with seven days to go. If that number triples by June 30, only 30% of voters will decide who will win in November.

As of June 23, 440,000 voters have delivered their ballots out of a potential 4.5 million. Of those returned ballots, 30%, or 130,000, come from voters 75 years or older. That number exceeds the total number of returned ballots from voters between the ages of 18 and 54 at 117,380. Add voters 65-plus to the 75-plus number and the total of returned ballots from seniors skyrockets to 58% of received ballots, or 255,000 voters. These numbers mean baby boomers, particularly Democratic women baby boomers, will decide this election.

Why Democratic senior women? Women make up 60% of the Democratic Party. Democrats are currently the dominant party in the state even though only about 25% of voters register as Democrats. As of Tuesday, women are outvoting men by 28,000 ballots.

By party, 34% of returned ballots have come from Democrats. Unaffiliated voters represent 38% of returned ballots even though they’re 51% of voters. The GOP represents 28% of primary voters.

Jefferson County, the state’s fourth largest county, beats all other counties for returned ballots at 52,806. El Paso County, with many more residents than Jeffco, comes in second at 52,487. Jeffco has turned toward the Democrats over the last decade. Its residents are getting older as seniors age in their homes. Jefferson County School District recently closed 17 schools due to population declines among children of school age. That’s the story of the state right now.

Denver is the second largest county in the state. It is now in third place for returned ballots at 42,500. Arapahoe County, our third largest county, is in fourth place for returned ballots at 40,119. Three of the four top counties for returned ballots lean heavily to the Democrats.

In the “hotly contested” Congressional District 8 election comprising voters from Weld and Adams County, a paltry 51,219 voters have sent in ballots. This is probably bad news for Barbara Kirkmeyer running on the GOP side for governor given her home county is Weld. On the other hand, if El Paso County’s meager ballot returns split between its two local guys running for governor, Kirkmeyer may be able to eke out a win if she can kick up turn out in her home community.

What’s most disturbing about the primary numbers is how few people from 18 to 54 years are voting.  Maybe they haven’t gotten the message the primary will likely decide who’s going to win in November. With the state leaning so heavily to the Dems, either Phil Weiser or Michael Bennet will likely be our next governor. The same party will take the other statewide offices: attorney general, state treasurer, and secretary of state. candidates for these offices don’t need to reach out very far for votes if most likely voters are party seniors. Their messages can be narrow if they only have to appeal to people over the age of 60.

Primaries historically have low turnout, but in previous years, the parties were more evenly split and more competitive. Now, the Democrats rule the roost and the deciding competition is now.

It’s stunning how much money in the governor’s race on the Democratic side has produced such a tiny result. By the end of the month, Weiser and Bennet and various supporting campaign committees will probably spend just south of $20 million. Though $20 million is a lot, it’s not that much given the winner will run the state for the next eight years.

These primary elections don’t cut it. When most voters from 18 to 54 are uninterested in sticking a ballot in the mail, that’s bad. So much of their well-being depends on the outcome of this election, yet the contests are barely a blip and more of an annoyance in the awareness of these adults.

Alternative selection processes exist such as the all-in primary in California. It can be easily argued that election didn’t produce a great result either.

The state, as well as the nation, is stuck in antique political structures that don’t engage and motivate the electorate. The parties are out of touch. Seniors are the predominant activists among Democrats, as the current election turnout shows. Republicans have gone off a cliff with two of their three candidates.

This electorate disengagement is dangerous. State government faces a funding crisis affecting Medicaid, public schools and higher education, health care in general, and housing. Our roads are lousy and our correction system is chronically malfunctioning. The candidates offer “solutions” that feel minor, insufficient to the challenges. They claim to “fight” for this or that, but too often they don’t land their punches.

The next governor and other office holders need to bring imagination and persistence to the state. No more Polis bold. How about some Colorado brave?

Paula Noonan owns CapitolCommons.ai, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.