Longmont, Boulder (City) and Boulder County – Considering Proportional Representation for City Council and County Commissioners
Longmont Community Discussions
Topic: What different ways could/should ranked choice voting (RCV) be implemented into Longmont’s city elections?
- Instant-Runoff Voting, as used in the 2023 Boulder mayoral contest, is a form of RCV appropriate for a single-winner contest.
- Single Transferable Vote (STV), also commonly called proportional RCV, is for multi-winner contests and results in proportional representation based on the electorate’s preferences.
Date/Time: Tues, Feb 4th at 6:00 pm and Sat, Feb 8th at 1:00 pm
- The two events will largely cover the same content so, if you're able to come to only one event, you won't be missing much.
Location: Longmont Public Library (409 4th Avenue)
Organizer: RCV for Longmont https://www.rcvforlongmont.org/
Contacts: Dillon Rankin and John Lembke rcv4longmont@gmail.com
- There is no RSVP required to attend. This is an open invitation, so feel free to bring a friend or invite others! If you have any questions, you're more than welcome to send Dillon and John an email.
Petition to Boulder City Council
Text: We call upon the Boulder City Council to hold a comprehensive study session in 2025 on proportional representation in city council elections. Proportional representation gives more groups a seat at the table. For example, a group comprising 40% of the electorate would win about 40% of the seats. When a range of voices are heard, better solutions to complex problems – with buy-in from all groups – are possible.
Reason: LWVBC has sent a letter every year for 5 consecutive years to the Boulder City Council asking for a study session on proportional representation. Perhaps if a large swath of the community asks for this study session, the Boulder City Council will finally fulfill our request.
Goal: Signatures from 500 residents in the city of Boulder. This is not an official government petition so the residents do not have to be registered voters, do not have to be US citizens, and do not even have to be 18 years old. The city clerk will not be required to check the signatures so the petition alone does not add to the workload of city staff.
Organizer: LWVBC Voting Methods Team vmteam@lwvbc.org or Celeste Landry 303 440 4395 landline. The petition contains the logo of LWVBC, but non-LWV members may carry a petition and, of course, sign the petition. Please contact a member of the Voting Methods Team if you would like to sign or carry a petition or if you just have questions.
Boulder County Impacted by Legislative Bill
Content: Counties with more than 150,000 people would elect 5 county commissioners, either
- at large (as we do now) but use a proportional voting method, specifically Single Transferable Vote (STV), commonly called proportional RCV, or
- by district with the voters in each district only able to elect one of the 5 commissioners. This is one of the 4 options currently allowed in statute.
These two voting options are standard remedies to satisfy violations of the Voting Rights Act. A county ballot measure would allow voters to choose which of the two methods to use.
Sponsors: Representatives Bob Marshall (Douglas County) and Junie Joseph (Boulder County) and Senate sponsors (not yet announced). https://leg.colorado.gov/
Status: The bill will be introduced in early February after stakeholder meetings with county commissioners, Colorado Counties, Inc (CCI) and Counties and Commissioners Acting Together (CCAT). LWVCO lobbyists are expected to take a stance on the bill soon after it is introduced. As an individual, you may reach out at any time to express your opinion to your county commissioners and legislators.
Affected Counties: Jefferson, Adams, Larimer, Douglas, Boulder, and perhaps home-rule Weld County. El Paso and Arapahoe County already elect 5 commissioners solely by district voters so they would not be affected. Denver County would not be affected because it is set up with a unique city-county governance structure.
Background: A similar bill was introduced last year – but without the proportional STV voting method! It was amended multiple times before being rejected on the House floor. Note that STV is already authorized in 1-7-1002 and 1-7-103 Colorado Revised Statutes for use by cities and special districts.