{"id":47994,"date":"2021-03-12T19:47:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T02:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/four-colorado-cities-use-ranked-choice-voting-democrats-want-to-make-it-easier\/"},"modified":"2021-03-13T02:47:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T02:47:28","slug":"four-colorado-cities-use-ranked-choice-voting-democrats-want-to-make-it-easier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/four-colorado-cities-use-ranked-choice-voting-democrats-want-to-make-it-easier\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Colorado cities use ranked-choice voting. Democrats want to make it easier"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"The
The voter service and polling center at the University of Colorado in Boulder was busy all day Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Officials say voter intimidation is less of a concern than in other states, because most Coloradans vote by mail. (Dana Coffield, The Colorado Sun)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

It\u2019s a relatively rare way to vote in the United States, but a group of Democratic state lawmakers want to make it easier to use ranked-choice voting to elect leaders in Colorado cities.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works: instead of casting a vote for a single candidate, voters rank candidates in order of their preference. The votes are tallied based on each voter\u2019s first choice, and if a candidate gets a majority, they win outright.<\/p>\n

But if no candidate gets a majority, contenders with the fewest votes are eliminated in rounds, with their votes redistributed to the next highest-ranked candidate on voters\u2019 ballots. That continues until one candidate receives a majority.<\/p>\n

Proponents of ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff voting, say the method gives voters more of a say, eliminates the need for expensive run-off elections and ensures a winner receives a majority of votes, proving their broad support.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my suburb of Lakewood, it is pretty easy to get on the ballot for city council \u2026 and so it\u2019s pretty common that we have three or four or more candidates running,\u201d said Rep. Chris Kennedy, a Democrat. \u201cAnd in those scenarios, it\u2019s very common that the person who wins has 30- or 40-something percent of the vote, but rarely do they get a majority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado municipalities can already implement ranked-choice voting, and so far four have adopted the new method. Boulder residents will elect their mayor with the ranking system starting in 2023, and the mountain towns of Telluride and Basalt currently use the method in some municipal elections. Carbondale adopted ranked choice voting in 2002, but has yet to implement it in an election.<\/p>\n

But so few cities use the method in Colorado that it can be expensive and hard to implement.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost cities do not have their own voting machines \u2014 they run a coordinated election with their county,\u201d Emma Donahue, political director for Ranked Choice Voting for Colorado, testified before the House Finance Committee on Thursday. \u201cA hand count is fine in Basalt or Telluride, but I don\u2019t think Boulder wants to do that, nor anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

And currently, counties with cities that conduct ranked-choice voting would have to conduct two different types of election audits, because Colorado\u2019s novel, risk-limiting auditing system doesn\u2019t accommodate the alternative voting method.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where House Bill 1071 comes in. The legislation would make it easier for cities to adopt the method by requiring Colorado\u2019s Secretary of State to establish minimum standards and requirements for a new voting system that would allow for ranked-choice voting, such as certifying the software municipalities can use.<\/p>\n

Under the proposal, the Secretary of State\u2019s Office would bear some of the biggest costs \u2014 developing and upgrading software to count votes and conduct election audits \u2014 which would make it possible for cities, particularly those that fall into more than one county, like Erie and Aurora, to hold an election using ranked-choice voting on the same ballot as other races.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of the reason there are so few [cities using ranked choice voting] is it\u2019s so costly to do it under current law,\u201d said Kennedy, a prime sponsor of the bill.<\/p>\n

Pros and cons<\/div>\n

Although ranked-choice voting has been used by American cities at various points over the last century, it started to gain traction again in the past two decades, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.<\/p>\n

Currently, 20 U.S. cities and towns use the voting method in local elections, according to FairVote, including Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, and Oakland and San Francisco in California, with several other cities set to implement it in the next few years. In 2020, Maine became the first state to use ranked-choice voting for a general presidential election.<\/p>\n

The Broomfield City Council is currently discussing whether to adopt the voting method, while in Denver, a city charter committee is considering ranked choice voting along with other election reforms.<\/p>\n

Aspen voters, meanwhile, approved ranked-choice voting in 2007, but then voted to repeal the system in November 2010 over frustrations with the logistics of implementing it.<\/p>\n

House Bill 1071 only applies to municipalities and nonpartisan races, and implementing ranked-choice voting would continue to be optional.<\/p>\n

State Rep. Jeni Arndt, a Fort Collins Democrat and another prime sponsor of the bill, argues the alternative voting method discourages polarization and eliminates the effect of a \u201cspoiler\u201d candidate drawing votes away from major party candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re campaigning in a nonpartisan race, and you\u2019re talking to a potential voter, they may not vote for you, but they may vote for you as their second choice,\u201d said Arndt, who is running to be mayor of Fort Collins. \u201cThe places that have done this \u2026 the candidates say it lends to a more civil race, because you\u2019re reaching every person and listening almost twice as hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advocates also cite research, based on four cities that have adopted ranked-choice voting in California\u2019s Bay Area, showing more women and people of color have run for office and have a higher probability of winning under the voting method.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo there is proof out there that this has shown to be more inclusive, more equality, and really gives voters better satisfaction in their voting system,\u201d said Donahue, of Ranked Choice Voting for Colorado.<\/p>\n

The legislation has received support from a number of groups, including League of Women Voters Colorado, Colorado Municipal League and Municipal Clerks Association.<\/p>\n

Rep. Colin Larson, a Littleton Republican, said he\u2019s intrigued by ranked-choice voting and believes Colorado would benefit from election reforms. But he\u2019s concerned a big shift in elections would confuse voters and have a negative impact on participation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is there are a lot of voters that aren\u2019t that sophisticated when it comes to understanding elections,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd ranked-choice voting, just because it\u2019s something new that people aren\u2019t engaged on to begin with, I do worry, at least initially with implementation, it could be very confusing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 64 counties that make up the Colorado County Clerks Association have also expressed concerns about how a shift could impact voter turnout, according to Executive Director Matt Crane, who is also a former Arapahoe County clerk and recorder.<\/p>\n

Clerks have voiced skepticism that, with limited data on the relatively few jurisdictions that have adopted ranked-choice voting nationwide, many of the purported benefits won\u2019t materialize.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t always lead to a 50%-plus-one winner,\u201d Crane said. \u201cAnd there\u2019s some data \u2026 that it\u2019s had a negative impact on participation from people of color and older people. We\u2019re studying that and we want to make sure that a change to the election policy, it\u2019s going to be a productive change.\u201d<\/p>\n

The association\u2019s membership has taken an \u201camend\u201d position on the legislation, meaning the group would like to see changes.<\/p>\n

Kennedy said many of those issues can be addressed with a robust voter education campaign, which the bill requires but leaves up to municipalities and counties to conduct and fund.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one of the things that has been learned \u2026 is if you have a good voter education campaign, a multilingual campaign, and if the ballot design is right, you don\u2019t see a turnout drop,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n

Funding challenges<\/div>\n

Municipalities would be responsible for some of the costs of implementing ranked-choice voting, including election set-up, ballot design, voter education and counting votes. Counties that use ranked-choice voting will also split the cost of the cost each year for the state\u2019s voting system license.<\/p>\n

The Secretary of State\u2019s office has taken a neutral position on the legislation, but has concerns about costs.<\/p>\n

The bill would cost the agency nearly $1 million over three years, largely due to software and tech upgrades needed to conduct ranked-choice voting elections in cities that cross county lines, according to a fiscal analysis by nonpartisan legislative staff. (Aurora, for instance, is in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.)<\/p>\n

Sixty-two of Colorado\u2019s 64 counties use Dominion\u2019s Democracy Suite, which already has the capability to add ranked-choice voting to its software, meaning the Secretary of State could upgrade that software and reach most Colorado cities. The remaining two counties, Douglas and Garfield, use another system and wouldn\u2019t be required to participate under this bill, said Kennedy.<\/p>\n

Amendments to the bill have already been made based on concerns raised by the Secretary of State, including pushing back the date that municipalities in multiple counties can adopt the voting method to 2025. That\u2019s to give election officials more time to upgrade its auditing software.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to experts who say this is doable, it just takes time,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n

The expenses would be entirely funded through the agency\u2019s cash fund, which would require fee increases on Colorado businesses and charities, according to John Magnino, director of government and public affairs for the Secretary of State.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout an alternative funding source, the cost of this bill would force us to raise fees on Colorado businesses to ensure that our cash fund expenses were balanced by our cash fund revenue,\u201d Magnino said in remarks to the House Finance Committee.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile this extension of implementation allows us to spread the cost over more years, it still represents a significant expense that would require us to increase fees in order to generate additional revenue,\u201d Magnino said. \u201cWe would be better positioned to support this bill fully if a different source of funding were identified.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the Secretary of State were to increase fees to pay for the bill, Colorado businesses would see a one-time increase of $1.25, according to Kennedy\u2019s own calculations. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty manageable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It will also depend on whether the legislature passes any other bills this year that will impact that fund, which won\u2019t be clear until later this year.<\/p>\n

So far the bill doesn\u2019t have bipartisan support, according to Kennedy. \u201cI really don\u2019t think this benefits one party more than the other. I think it makes sure whoever the majority of voters believe in is going to win the race,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Larson was among four Republicans who voted against advancing the bill out of the House Finance Committee, citing the potential cost to businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though it\u2019s a fairly nominal amount, I don\u2019t think now is the time we should be prioritizing implementing a new election system,\u201d said Larson. \u201cI definitely do not think 2021 is the year to be raising fees on businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

The legislation now heads to the House Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n

Read more at The Colorado Sun<\/em><\/p>\n

The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Read more at The Colorado Sun<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Legislation would cut costs for cities that want to opt-in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[233,28,265],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-47994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-coloradosun-com","tag-headlines","tag-politics"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47994"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=47994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}