January 30 Denver Special Election Results

 

Voters End Election Commission - Will Choose Clerk

Denver Approves Move to Elected Clerk and Recorder 2-to-1

 

Denver voters have overwhelmingly put an end to the Denver Election Commission. The results of Tuesday's Special Election gave a more than two-to-one margin of victory to the proposal that calls for ending the 3 member Election Commission and instead electing a single Clerk and Recorder for Denver.

 

The vote was 36,461-Yes and 17,241-No. The 53,797 votes cast represent almost 20% (19.43%) of the electorate within the city.

 

The new elected Clerk and Recorder will be chosen by voters at the May 1 Municipal Election. Candidates for the office will run for the office at the same time that all other city officials seek their offices. Candidates for office must have their paperwork completed in early March.

 

Just as Tuesday's election, May's balloting will also be conducted by mail. The Registration deadline for voters to participate in the May Election is April 2, 2007.

 

The current Denver Election Commission will remain in place to run the May balloting. Once the Municipal election is complete the Clerk and Recorder will assume management of Denver elections.

Denver Special Election

Denver's November 2006 General Election was fraught with problems.   Computer system failures caused long lines, and thousands of people gave up on the voting process.  Now, City leaders are calling for an immediate change to how Denver manages its elections.  
   
This month Denver voters will see something different for Denver elections – being asked to vote in mid-winter and using another way to cast their ballot.  
     
On January 30th a Special Election will be held in Denver.  Voters will decide whether to change the City’s Charter and replace the current 3-member Denver Election Commission with a single elected Clerk and Recorder. And, this election will be held using ballots sent to voters by mail. So no polling place - of any kind – will be open.

Single Ballot Item
      
After the November 2006 election problems, Mayor John Hickenlooper and City Council President Michael Hancock convened a special Investigative Panel on the elections.  This group held a series of meeting that put a microscope on the problems and then suggested remedies.  
   
City Council also held several meetings, including a public hearing to get comments from the community. From this combined work, the legislators shaped a proposal and on December 26, Denver City Council voted 9-3 to bring this issue to the voters. 
     
The ballot measure is an attempt to increase accountability -- by having a single person responsible for Denver’s elections.  The call for a special election rather than placing it on the regular May ballot is meant to quickly restore voter confidence and to give the future, new Clerk and Recorder more time to prepare for next year’s Presidential election.    
    
However not everyone wanted to rush the issue.  Some Council and Task Force members preferred to focus on fixing the actual problems of the November election, especially those computer-related, before recommending such a wholesale change to the commission structure.     Denver has had an Election Commission for over 100 years.  It is made up of two elected commissioners and the City’s Clerk and Recorder - a position that is appointed by the Mayor.

If voters approve the Charter Change at this Special Election, the Election Commission will no longer exist, and an elected Clerk and Recorder would be in charge of elections.   Candidates will run for the new Clerk and Recorder office in the May 2007 election, along with all the other city officers.    
   
Voting Method

The January 30th Special Election is an all-mail election.  Any active voter who was registered before December 29th will automatically be mailed a ballot.   This will include those who did not vote in the November 2006 general election.

Once you receive the ballot, it can filled out at home, at your convenience.  If you choose to mail back your ballot, be sure to allow plenty of time so your ballot arrives by January 30th.  Any ballot received after 7:00 PM on the 30th will not be counted, regardless of the postmark.       

Many people prefer to return their ballot in person.  There will be 13 sites available for voters to drop off their ballots.  All sites will have secure ballot boxes monitored by election judges.  
      
The following locations will be available to drop off ballots:
Monday, January 22 - Friday January 25, and  Monday January 29th ; 10:00 am to 7:00 PM . 
Election Day, Tuesday January 30;  7:00 am to 7:00 pm.        

The locations are: 

In addition, voters can drop their ballots off at:

Denver Election Commission,
303 West Colfax Ave.
Weekdays beginning Jan 16,  8:00 am to 7:00 PM
and 7:00 am to 7:00 PM on Election Day. 

The Election Commission will also have curbside drop-off on Court Place between Colfax Ave. and 14th Street on Election Day.        

Election returns will be shown on the evening of January 30 on Denver 8 TV and on DenverGov.org/Election.      

Again, the January 30th Special Election is to decide whether to change the City’s Charter and replace the 3-member Election Commission with a single Elected Clerk and Recorder.  Remember to get your ballot back before January 30th at 7:00 PM.  You will be helping to shape the future of Denver’ Elections.  Be sure to vote!      

More Information

 If you have any question about the January 30th Election, you can call the Election Commission directly at 720-913-VOTE (8683).
 Or use the City’s 311 service. You can also visit the Commission website at DenverGov.org/elections

 

Denver City Council

Council Kills Plan to Prohibit the Felling of Front-Yard Trees
 

Denver has rejected a proposed ordinance that would have prohibited homeowners from taking down front-yard trees.

Mayor John Hickenlooper said it wasn't reasonable that "someone has the right to tear down their homes, but they can't take down their tree."

He told City Council members Tuesday morning that he had been out of the loop on the proposed ordinance drafted by his parks department.

The ordinance would have allowed tree removal only in cases where trees were diseased, dangerous or limited access to a home. A city inspector would have had to agree and issue a permit. Violators could have been fined thousands of dollars.

City Councilwoman Marcia Johnson led the charge against the ordinance, winning plenty of company along the way.

Council President Michael Hancock told Hickenlooper that he also had been "skittish" about the proposal, saying government should not tell you "how you treat your own yard."

Angela Casias, the parks department's liaison with the council, said officials "heard loud and clear" that the public had serious reservations about the proposal.

"We're going back to the drawing board," she said.

She said it was too early to tell what an eventual compromise version might entail, but promised to "craft it so it is seen as something positive."

The proposal was an attempt to strengthen a 2001 measure that limits tree cuttings by home buyers who purchase homes with the intent to scrape them off and rebuild.

The ordinance had a loophole. It required a tree-cutting permit only after a homeowner applied for a building or demolition permit.

Builders soon learned to do the cutting before applying for the permit, said Assistant City Attorney Kerry Buckey.

Johnson said that most homeowners love their trees and will preserve them.

But sometimes, for aesthetic or other reasons, they feel they need to remove one. They shouldn't be prohibited by city rules, she said.

She said that the measure could have deterred homeowners from planting a new tree.

Last year, Hickenlooper announced formation of Greenprint Denver, which includes a goal of planting a million new trees in the region over the next 20 years.