Liberal groups mount late push to defeat Proposition 131
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Despite being outspent 50-to-1, a coalition of liberal organizations is joining hands in a last-ditch effort to defeat Proposition 131 in Colorado.
Why it matters: The David vs. Goliath battle will determine whether Colorado makes major changes to how it elects candidates for state-level offices.
State of play: The opposition is appealing to late voters who tend to lean younger and more progressive in the hopes it can persuade them against open primary elections and ranked choice voting, organizers tell Axios Denver.
The arguments focus on the billionaires, out-of-state moneyed interests and corporations behind the effort, and the untested nature of the system in Colorado.
- Critics argue that open primaries — where all candidates compete for attention — would reward those with the most money and special interest support, as evidenced by the recent Denver mayoral race.
By the numbers: Colorado Voters First, the committee behind the measure, has spent $14.3 million compared with a scant $284,500 from the opposition, reports through late October show.
- In recent days, the opposition committee, known as Voting Rights Colorado, received major donations from prominent liberal organizations, including New Era Colorado, a youth voting advocacy group; Conservation Colorado; the National Education Association; abortion rights group Cobalt Advocates; and Colorado WINS, the state employees union.
What they're saying: "This is an attempt for billionaires and corporate interests to buy power in our elections," New Era's Nicole Hensel told us. "Just when groups like ours have been able to win in this system, they want to change the rules."
The intrigue: More opposition is coming from the political parties. The Democratic, Republican and the Green parties are all against the measure, in part because it would weaken their power to select candidates.
- All are looking to leverage their membership to vote against the measure, designed to appeal to unaffiliated voters, the dominant voting bloc in Colorado.
The other side: Prop. 131 supporters argue the new system would empower more voters by diminishing the role of political parties and the resulting polarization.
- They also dispute the idea that money would play a bigger role under the new system. A recent study of the issue in Alaska proved inconclusive.
Between the lines: Money currently dominates Colorado elections, but opponents worry it would only get worse with two competitive elections, the primary and general.
- "Most candidates will move from having to win one contested election to having to win two — that is probably about double the money in politics," said Wendy Howell, the state director for the progressive Working Families Party, whose affiliated organizations have donated more than $55,500 to defeat Prop. 131.
The bottom line: The late spending behind the measures suggests it will remain contested until the final ballots are cast.