City of Boulder 2F – Clean-Up: Elections

As with many clean-up measures, the provisions of this ballot issue generally make sense.
  1) Changes “qualified elector” to “registered elector.”
  2) Requires the city clerk to certify a list of candidates prior to ballots being distributed to voters (as opposed to the current 55 days before the election).
  3) Changes the candidate list order from alphabetical to “determined by lot.”
  4) Delays any new council member from taking office until the election results for his or her race are final.
  5) Deletes obsolete wording about voting machines.
  6) Limits the canvassing and election board for municipal elections to those city council members not seeking election. Currently, if the number of eligible city council members is less than 5, then the city council must designate 1 or more city voters to the canvassing board in order for there to be at least 5 members. In 2011 barring any unforeseen circumstances, there should be 6 city council members on the board – 4 continuing members and 2 retiring members.

Recommendation: for

The only concern that I have about this clean-up measure is that the canvassing and election board could end up with very few members. Since generally 5 city council seats are up for election each time, most of the time there would be at least 4 city council members available to serve on the canvassing board. If vacancies occur on council, however, the canvassing board could end up with fewer than 4 members. I don’t worry very much though because the city clerk and county clerk and recorder, not to mention the county commissioners and candidates on the ballot, also monitor the process.


City of Boulder Ballot Question No. 2F (Approved Ballot Language)

Clean‐Up Charter Provisions Regarding Elections

Shall Sections 5, 21, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 55, 56, 57, 61, 97, 97A, 98, 108, 124, and 164 of the Charter of the City of Boulder be amended to update the Charter with current election terminology and practices as set forth in Ordinance No. 7801?
‐ For the measure
‐ Against the measure


See Ordinance No. 7801 to refer 2F to the voters.
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/files/Elections/2011/Ordinances/7801.pdf