Frequently Asked Questions
-
If passed, this proposed amendment would shift Boulder’s off-cycle local elections to be on-cycle in even years when state and federal elections take place.
Nearly twice as many Boulder residents vote in even years compared to off years. The result of passing Measure 2E would be a significant increase in voter turnout for Boulder’s local elections. -
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?
-
First, the ballot measure would need to be voted on by the people of the City of Boulder at the November 8th, 2022 election. If voters support the measure, the first even-year local election would occur in 2026. the transition would commence in 2023 with that year’s elections. It would take two cycles to complete:
In order to implement the transition, candidates running for the positions on City Council in 2023 and 2025 would be elected to three-year terms instead of four-year terms, which would result in those positions next being contested in an even-numbered year for four-year terms.
For example, a successful candidate running in 2023 would be elected to a three-year term ending in 2026. If that person decided to run for a second term in 2026, their next term would be four years, as that is the standard term on City Council.
The Measure & Implementation
-
To strengthen our democracy! By aligning our local election date with state and federal elections, we will significantly increase the participation and diversity of the electorate that chooses our city’s leaders. Almost DOUBLE the number of Boulder residents vote in even years compared to off years.
Even-year elections are more representative in terms of race, ethnicity, age, & income.
The City of Boulder is a town of over 100,000 residents and a $460M budget. City officials make many critically important public safety, land use, and transportation decisions that affect all of us. Our city leaders should be chosen by the same broader electorate that chooses our state legislators, our United States senators and representatives, and our president.
-
Absolutely! Voter turnout in Boulder is nearly DOUBLE in even years compared to odd years. For example, in 2018 and 2020 the voter turnout in Boulder was 82% and 90% respectively. Comparatively, in 2019 and 2021, voter turnout in Boulder was only 50% and 49% respectively.
-
Yes! In fact, every single published study on election timing and voter turnout shows that holding local elections in even years is the single most important change that local governments can make to increase turnout.
If you are interested in learning more, you can find many research papers on this topic here.
Why Vote Yes on 2E
-
Moving local elections to even years elevates the importance and attention of local issues and candidates because more people participate in the discussions and process.
History has shown that local offices like City Council simply don’t attract the level of interest from the mass media or the public that state and federal offices do, regardless of how strong the field of candidates is, or how competitive the races are. When local offices stand on their own in an odd-numbered, “local” year, coverage and voter interest tends to be muted. Sometimes, it’s downright anemic.But by sharing a ballot with higher profile state and federal offices, we can elevate the importance of local races. With that, local contests can more effectively gain attention and media coverage. That’s good for candidates, good for voters, and good for democracy. The local offices effectively ride on the coattails of the state and federal offices, benefiting from the excitement and energy surrounding the elections for those positions.
-
Boulder’s school board elections occur in off-years like our city council elections currently do, causing them to have very low turnout of around 30%. Like cities, school boards need the autonomy to move their elections to even years to boost turnout and representation. We support and are working to change state law to allow for school board elections to be held in even years.
In the meantime, will turnout drop in school board elections if city council elections move to even years? We have lots of evidence that says no:
Only about ⅔’s of people in Boulder who vote in off-years vote in school board elections. These are very consistent voters that vote every year and will continue to vote every year.
Superior, Colorado — just outside of Boulder and in Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) — holds its municipal city council elections in even years. In 2021, Superior showed virtually identical turnout in school board elections (31%) compared to Boulder (32%).
Passing measure 2E will be a great benefit to Boulder and help support school boards to work toward increasing turnout in their elections.
-
There are lots of reasons as to why voters don’t turn out as much for off-year elections.
The majority of people typically think of “Election Day” as the first Tuesday in November of even-numbered years. In off-years, when there are no statewide or federal elections, many people don’t even realize an election is occurring.
When people are hustling every day to go to school, or pay rent, or buy groceries, or raise children it is surprisingly easy to miss that an election is happening during an off-year.
There are also just fewer opportunities to vote during off-year elections. Vote Centers have significantly reduced hours and locations in off-years compared to even years. It is simply easier to vote in even years with more hours and locations to vote and drop ballots.
Off-cycle elections are more likely to reduce turnout for lower-income people and renters, who are more likely to move year to year. While Colorado is an all-mail ballot state, a person that moves in August and does not update their voter registration will not receive their ballot by mail. This adds a significant barrier to voting and that effect is multiplied with the reduced awareness of off-cycle elections.
Additionally, advocacy groups and organizations do not put in the same level of time, money, or resources into getting out the vote in off-years, which reduces turnout.