DENVER -- John Edwards will try to win the votes of Republicans and independents when he visits Colorado this week.

Edwards, who has already made two trips to the state since being selected as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, will hold a town meeting Thursday in the Events Center at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to discuss health care. Most of the tickets for the event are being distributed by a group called Women for Kerry.

Members are each being given six tickets and are being asked to give five of them to non-Democrats who are wavering between Kerry and President Bush.

"We know we have to speak to them if we're going to win this state," Colorado campaign spokesman Steve Haro said Monday. "This campaign wants to talk to everybody. We're not just going to preach to the choir."

Republicans and independents outnumber Democrats in Colorado. There are 1,074,336 Republicans, 945,594 independents and 893,549 Democrats.

Haro said both Democrats and non-Democrats will be allowed to ask Edwards questions at the end of the meeting.

Tickets to the event are available Tuesday. Free tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis and are available at:

John Kerry for President Headquarters
333 West Colfax
Denver, 80204

Colorado State Democratic Party Headquarters
777 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, 80204

El Paso County Democrats
25 North Iowa Street
Colorado Springs, CO
(719) 473-8713
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Boulder Democrats
1725 Walnut Street
Boulder, CO
(303) 442-3423
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jefferson County Democrats
8745 W. 14th Ave. Suite 110
Lakewood, CO 80215
(303) 237-1359

Doors will open to the public at 3:30 p.m. with the program beginning shortly after 4:30 p.m.