The Research

Every published study on election timing and voter turnout shows that combining local elections with state and federal elections is the single most effective change that local governments can make to increase turnout.

Source: “Who Votes: City Election Timing and Voter Composition”, American Political Science Review

“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.”

Source: ”Who Votes: City Election Timing and Voter Composition”, American Political Science Review

“Off-year municipal elections are known to have low voter turnout. A skewed electorate due to low voter turnout undermines the integrity of our democracy and the chance for all communities to be fairly represented.”

-Source: Research Brief: Odd-year vs. Even-Year Consolidates Elections in California

“Moving local elections from off-cycle to the same day as presidential elections is three times more effective at increasing turnout than the most effective mode of mobilization—face-to-face canvassing.”

-Source: Timing and Turnout: How Off-cycle Elections Favor Organized Groups

“The data are unequivocal. Across the nation, turnout in cities with on-cycle elections is dramatically higher than those with off-cycle elections.

With one simple step, we could move from local elections with a small and generally unrepresentative electorate to those with broad and significantly more representative participation.”

-Source: Race and Class Inequality in Local Politics, American Political Science Association

“By focusing on city elections we find that lower turnout leads to substantial reductions in the representation of Latinos and Asian Americans on city councils and in the mayor’s office. For African Americans district elections and off-cycle local elections are more important barriers to representation.”

-Source: Where Turnout Matters: The Consequences of Uneven Turnout in City Politics, The Journal of Politics

“Election timing is the number one predictor of voter turnout. Voters are much more likely to turn out for consolidated, even-year elections where they are motivated by the highly visible federal and state contests but also continue to vote in down-ballot local races.”

-Source: Increasing Voter Turnout in Local Elections, National Civic League

Boulder Data

Almost twice as many Boulder residents vote in even years compared to off years. For example, nearly 30,000 fewer people voted in 2021 than in 2020.

By voting YES on measure 2E, Boulder can hold its local elections on even years when the majority of people vote.

Boulder’s Off-year Elections are Less Diverse

The data shows that people of color are consistently underrepresented in Boulder’s off-year elections. Moving to even-year elections will help address historical injustices in voting access.

These tables compare the difference in average turnout between Boulder’s top ten most racially diverse precincts versus the top ten least racially diverse precincts.

Boulder’s off-year elections disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups.

Boulder’s election data shows that young families, students, and young professionals are also underrepresented in off-year elections. 

This graph shows the difference in voter turnout between even and off-year elections in Boulder for people under the age of 40.

Voter Data Source: Boulder County Elections , CE-068 file, 2018-2021

Boulder is Not Alone

Many cities and states across the nation have moved their off-cycle elections to even years in order to increase participation and voter turnout.

The results of those reforms have consistently proven that holding local elections at the same time as state and federal races is the SINGLE most effective change that can be made to significantly increase voter turnout.

Los Angeles saw 150-400% increases in turnout.

LA moved their local elections to even years in 2020. This graph compares the voter turnout for city council races during an off-year election (red line) versus an even-year election (blue line).

Colorado cities with even-year elections see significantly higher turnout than Boulder

In Colorado, Parker and Castle Rock are two examples of cities that hold their local elections in even years and they see significantly higher turnout for their local races than we do here in Boulder.

In the 2020 elections in Parker and Castle Rock, voter turnout for their Mayoral and City Council races was 78% and 74%, respectively, whereas in Boulder the turnout was only 49% in 2021.

Data Source: Douglas County Elections, 2020