The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Voter turnout trailing with 2 weeks left in election

BY BREEANNA JENT breeanna.jent@gazette.com

With just under two weeks remaining before the April 4 municipal election in Colorado Springs, voters still have time to cast their ballots to choose the city’s next mayor and four new councilmembers — but the city clerk encourages residents to vote as soon as possible.

Turnout is so far trailing slightly behind voter turnout at the same point in the last city election two years ago, data from the Colorado Springs City Clerk’s Office show. As of Monday 6.05%, or 18,806, of the city’s 310,918 active registered voters had returned their ballots, compared with 22,940 ballots returned at the same point in 2021, data show.

“(City Clerk Sarah Johnson) ... focuses on encouraging everyone to vote as soon as possible. She consistently encourages voters to educate themselves using our website and other sources, and she hopes they will fill their ballot out and drop it off to one of our convenient 26 drop-off locations around the city,” said Jen Schreuder, a clerk’s office spokeswoman.

Data show that in the past four regular municipal elections between 2015 and 2021, more residents voted in mayoral election years 2015 and 2019 than in years 2017 and 2021, when there were no mayoral races.

In 2021, 84,509 people cast ballots for a 27.03% voter turnout. In 2017, 84,496 people returned ballots, a 33.61% voter turnout.

That’s compared to 2019, when Mayor John Suthers won reelection to his second term and 99,028 people, or 38.17% of voters, cast their votes, according to clerk’s office data. During the regular election in 2015, which forced a mayoral runoff election between Suthers and his then-opponent Mary Lou Makepeace, 90,475 people voted, a 40.69% voter turnout.

Suthers is not running for mayor again this year because of term limits.

Data also show voters in District 1, the city’s northwest area, have cast the most ballots to date for the April 4 election at 4,061. Residents in District 5 (central) have returned 3,520 ballots; District 3 (southwest), 3,472; and District 2 (north), 3,423. District 6 (east) voters have returned 3,016 ballots and District 4 (southeast) voters have returned the fewest, at 1,314 so far.

Next month, voters will choose Colorado Springs’ first new mayor in eight years from a pool of 12 mayoral candidates. Residents will also elect three candidates in a crowded 11-person race to fill three at-large City Council seats, each for a four-year term, and will select from two candidates in the race to serve the remaining two years of the term for Council District 3.

Voters also will decide whether to extend the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) tax for another 20 years. The majority of the proceeds of the dedicated 0.1% sales tax, or 1 cent per $10, is split between parks, trails and open space for acquisition, stewardship and maintenance.

Johnson said earlier this month her office was preparing for a likely mayoral runoff election that will occur, if necessary, just 42 days after the regular election, on May 16.

To win the mayor’s seat in a general municipal election, a candidate must receive a majority of votes — or 50% of the vote, plus one vote — to avoid a runoff election between the top two vote-getters in the mayoral race. In a runoff, the candidate who earns the most votes will be named mayor, she previously said.

Johnson has encouraged voters to cast their ballots in the April 4 election and not to wait to vote in a possible mayoral runoff, as there are other races and a ballot issue to decide as well.

Residents must return their ballots to the City Clerk’s Office or at any one of the city’s 26 designated drop-off locations, which have 24/7 ballot boxes, by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks will not count.

A full list of drop-off locations and their addresses is available online at coloradosprings.gov/voterinfo.

Voters who mail their ballots should include the required first-class postage, allowing at least seven days before April 4 for their ballot to be received by the city clerk. The last day to mail in a ballot for it to be received by the voting deadline is March 28.

Residents may receive replacement ballots in person at the City Clerk’s Office, 30 S. Nevada Ave., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on April 4, according to the clerk’s website.

Voters who have questions about the election or need further assistance can call 719-385-5901.

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2023-03-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.gazette.com/article/281517935364707

The Gazette, Colorado Springs