Denver's November ballot will be historically long
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Denver voters may want to invest in larger mailboxes.
The big picture: The Denver City Council on Monday sent the latest measure to voters, asking whether the city should change how elected officials get pay raises.
- That means that when Denver's ballot lands in front of voters, it could feature as many as nine local questions and seven statewide measures, plus candidates for state and federal office.
Why it matters: Casting a vote in a fraught presidential election could draw attention away from issues with more acute local impact, like labor laws and higher sales taxes.
State of play: Monday's addition is the sixth referred measure for November's ballot, but it may not be the last.
- Mayor Mike Johnston's tax plan to provide more affordable housing and a request from the Downtown Development Authority to expand its footprint could be the next measures sent to voters.
By the numbers: Denver Elections expects a four-page ballot, but it's prepared to print five pages. Either way, it will be the longest in modern history, Denver Elections Division spokesperson Ben Warwick tells us.
- Context: The 2020 ballot was three cards, with 12 local measures and 11 statewide measures.
What they're saying: Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, who sponsored the latest referred measure, says she's not worried about "competing" with other questions on the local ballot.
- She says the presidential election will draw high voter turnout. "I think our voters are really savvy … [and] are really well informed," Sawyer said.
- However, she said she's heard from people who are worried about the number of questions about increasing taxes and borrowing nearly $1 billion to revamp local schools because of the financial impact.
Between the lines: Elizabeth Parmelee, who oversees voter engagement at the Auraria Campus in Denver, said her office tells students to focus on down-ballot measures like Denver's because their impact is far greater on a daily basis.
- The campus is home to more than 30,000 students, with Metro State University having some of the highest voter engagement among universities in the U.S.
Zoom in: Questions can be added for Denver voters in two ways, including by the council, which can refer questions to the public.
- The public can also gather signatures, which is the case for a measure seeking to ban slaughterhouses and another eliminating the sale and manufacturing of animal fur.
- It takes 8,940 valid signatures for a measure to make the ballot in Denver.
Zoom out: At the state level, the ballot only grows longer. Colorado lawmakers referred four major questions to the ballot and outside interests are qualified for three more referendums, including the right to an abortion.
- At least six additional ballot questions — including a major overhaul to how elections are conducted — are under review and may qualify in the coming days.