More voters means more engagement - YES on 2E

By Shawn Rupp, published in the Daily Camera:

I moved to Boulder in the summer of 2015, just a few short months before an odd-year election. I remember voting in the election that year, but I’ll be honest: I don’t think I knew much about the candidates or the issues. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though. I remember reading candidate profiles, Daily Camera articles, ballot explainers, etc., but it was really hard to differentiate between candidates based on vague platitudes on campaign websites. I didn’t feel like there was an easy way to really learn about local issues, and I don’t remember a ton of engagement from candidates.

It’s been shown in other cities that moving local elections to even years leads to greater voter turnout for those elections. This greater turnout means that candidates would need to engage the community a lot more to advocate for their ideas. Personally, I think this is a huge benefit! It would have the effect of engaging more people in local politics and increasing awareness of local issues.

If you’re a candidate for city council or you’re advocating for a ballot measure, and you believe that your ideas are truly beneficial for the city and all its residents, then you should love the idea of more people voting. You get to engage more voters and advocate for your ideas. You have the opportunity to convince voters that your ideas will make our community stronger. This seems like a huge win for candidates, voters, and the City of Boulder.

I believe moving local elections to even years would be a great way to let more voices be heard on local issues. I strongly support this measure, and I look forward to voting for it in November.