Denver is a proven leader when it comes to improving the elections process. Over the past two decades, we have built one of the most accessible, secure and innovative election systems in the nation — one that other states and cities have studied and replicated.
When I became Denver’s deputy director of elections in 2007 and then director in 2011, we faced real challenges: outdated voting equipment, inefficient processes, citywide budget challenges with furlough days and frustrating voter experiences. Working with an incredible team, we reimagined how our elections could work — how they could be more efficient and secure with a better customer experience.
We implemented a new and reimagined paper ballot voting system in partnership with our vendor. We launched innovations like ballot tracking so voters knew when their ballot was mailed, received and accepted for counting. We designed and implemented a digital petition application to provide a better candidate experience while creating operational efficiencies and providing the voter a more secure and accessible way to sign petitions.
We expanded voting options at home and at vote centers, and created more secure ways to return ballots, such as drop boxes and drive-up drop-off locations, now used nationwide. We embraced data-driven improvements, modernized technology, and streamlined our operations to serve voters more effectively while saving taxpayer dollars.
Denver’s leadership drew national and international recognition, becoming a model for election reform in the way ballots were cast and counted, and in how elections were treated as a public service grounded in accessibility, security and trust.
The recent Denver City Council vote to block a proposal that would have allowed voters to decide whether to combine municipal and run-off elections and provide an instant run-off voting system for Denver was disappointing. An instant run-off process with ranked choice voting is a proven, cost-saving, voter-friendly reform that has already succeeded in dozens of other cities and states. It eliminates costly runoffs, encourages more civil and positive campaigns, and ensures voters have more choice.
City Council’s decision was disappointing, but it also creates an opportunity to analyze the bigger picture and chart a more ambitious course for Denver’s representative democracy. We can use this moment to push for a better process and to advance a package of reforms that will make our city government more representative, responsive and effective.
To ensure Denver’s local government structure is effective and efficient and designed for the future, we should pursue three critical changes:First, implementing an instant run-off with a ranked choice process would modernize our municipal voting process, save millions in unnecessary runoff election costs, address voter fatigue challenges and improve the tone of our politics. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, which means if your first choice doesn’t win, your vote still counts toward your next choice. This encourages candidates to reach out to a broader range of voters, thus reducing the incentive of negative campaigning. For a city that prides itself on innovation, this is a common-sense step forward.
Second, we should move Denver’s municipal elections from the low-turnout spring to the higher-turnout November odd-year elections. This reform would amplify all of Denver’s voices, boost voter participation and place all local leadership races — including school board — on one ballot. It would also save an estimated $6 million each election cycle, an important consideration given Denver’s budget shortfalls. Yes, it would require a charter change and adjustments to the budget cycle, but these are solvable challenges with a major payoff in civic engagement.Third, Denver should adopt staggered terms for City Council members. Electing all members at once can lead to sudden shifts in governance and a loss of institutional memory, while staggered terms would provide continuity and stability. This is standard practice in many governments and would strengthen our city’s ability to tackle long-term challenges.
Denver is evolving, and our government needs to keep pace. Communities want a government that is modern, efficient and responsive, and the challenges we face are becoming more complex. We cannot keep relying on a governance structure built for the past. Together, these reforms would make our elections more efficient and inclusive, our government more stable, and our politics more constructive.
The failure to pass one piece of the above this time is not the end of the story. It is instead a call to think bigger, to design comprehensive solutions and reforms, and to rally a broad coalition of residents, civic leaders, business leaders and policymakers who want a stronger, more vibrant democracy for the city we love.
Denver has led before, and we can lead again. Let’s honor our history of innovation and our pioneer spirit by taking the next bold step forward.
Amber McReynolds, of Denver, is the board chair of Courageous Colorado, an author, a national election administration and policy expert, a business leader, and former director of elections for the city and county of Denver.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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