City of Boulder 2E - Move Municipal Candidate Elections to Even Years

Boulder’s candidate elections for city council and, starting in 2023, for mayor are held in odd years. Question 2E proposes transitioning from odd-year elections in 2023 and 2025 to even-year elections in 2026. The mayor and council members elected in these odd years would serve for 3 years instead of 2 and 4 years, respectively, to effect this transition.

Boulder’s elections in even years have higher voter turnout with apparently more younger voters. Other diversity indicators, such as race or ethnicity, are not reported and harder to argue and prove.

By moving Boulder’s “regular municipal elections” (aka the candidate elections) to even years, more people are expected to weigh in on the council and mayoral elections. The Boulder city council only has the power to ask voters to move the municipal candidate elections. School district candidate elections and some ballot measures will continue to be on odd-year ballots.

Recommendation: AGAINST THE MEASURE

This site is all about ballot measures. Ballot measures appear every November. By moving the hottest race in town to even years, turnout in odd years is likely to decrease.

Even years also have longer ballots. Adding more candidates to an even-year ballot will only decrease the available attention for ballot measures and leave busy people with less time to do research themselves and more dependent on campaign ads which can be misleading (like the promise of “increased voter turnout” if 2E passes).

The number of signatures needed for a recall, a non-charter citizen initiative, or a referendum on a council action is related to the number of votes cast in the last two regular municipal elections. Higher participation in regular municipal elections is likely to make recalls and citizen ballot measures much more difficult, impacting direct democracy and giving city council proportionally more power. City council suggests that it will deal with the signature question (and the Library Fund’s 1/3 mill property tax) at a later date.

Website for the Yes side – People for Voter Turnout
https://peopleforvoterturnout.com/

Website for the No side – Save Local Elections
https://www.savelocalelections.com/


Approved Ballot Language
City of Boulder Ballot Question 2E
Change Regular Municipal Election to Even Years

Shall Sections 5, 14, and 22 of the Boulder Home Rule Charter be amended to change the regular municipal election date to even numbered years on the same date as the state general election beginning with the November 2026 election date, and to implement the transition, reduce the term of the council members elected in 2023 and 2025 to three years and increase the term of the mayor elected in 2023 to three years, all as more specifically provided in Ordinance 8546?

For the Measure ____
Against the Measure ____

Ordinance 8546 to refer Question 2E to the voters
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=179903&dbid=0&_ga=2.247439361.404892481.1665453032-181246305.1661276300