Boulder Residents Launch Campaign to Expand Access to Voting

People for Voter Turnout has launched a grassroots campaign to support Boulder City Council’s ballot measure to hold our local elections on the same day as state and federal elections.

Boulder’s local elections are currently held in the off-years. Data shows that off-year elections are the cause of low voter turnout. “Low and uneven turnout is a serious problem for local democracy. Fortunately, one simple reform—shifting the timing of local elections so they are held on the same day as national contests—can substantially increase participation,” according to the American Political Science Review.

High voter turnout is fundamental to a healthy democracy. Research across the country and locally confirms that off-year elections result in significantly lower turnout. And it’s not just how many people are left out — but who is left out. In off-year elections, people who are younger, people with lower incomes, and people of color are disproportionately underrepresented.

This fall, Boulder voters will have the power to enact a voting reform that will result in more people voting. By aligning our local Boulder election date with state and federal elections, we can nearly double the number of people participating in our local democracy.

Specifically, the ballot measure proposed by Boulder City Council would change the regular municipal election date to align with state and federal election dates beginning in November 2026, and reduce the term of the council members elected in 2023 and 2025 to three years to implement the transition.

People for Voter Turnout will be actively campaigning to pass this measure on the November 2022 ballot in the City of Boulder. Jill Adler Grano, former City Council member and previous Community Affairs Director for Congressman Joe Neguse, will serve as campaign Chair fighting for a stronger democracy at the local level. “Holding local elections in even years is the single biggest change we can make to get more people voting,” Adler Grano said.

Over the past decade there has been a movement of cities and states moving their local elections to even years in order to address the inequities that result from odd-year elections. The results of these reforms have proven to significantly increase voter participation in local races.

In Colorado, two cities have shown significant voting increases after moving local elections to even years. In the most recent 2020 elections in Castle Rock and Parker, voter turnout for their City Council and Mayoral races was 74% and 78%, respectively. Turnout in Boulder was considerably lower in its most recent council elections in 2021, where only 49% of active voters turned in ballots.

Boulder City Council has recognized that moving our elections to even years will strengthen our local democracy. Their leadership to pass this change in Boulder will help bring more people into the process and improve representation across the city.

Residents who want to learn more and support the campaign to increase voter turnout in Boulder can visit the website at peopleforvoterturnout.com.