A Colorado voter advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Secretary of State and six county clerks, arguing that ballots in the current system are traceable — violating voters’ right to secret, anonymous ballots. This flaw, the group says, exposes Coloradans to voter intimidation and could discourage people…
Editor’s note: This election cycle,Westword is exploring the public records of television stations for information on how candidates are spending money on ads in Denver. Our latest dive into the political ad spending records at Denver television stations reveals that President Barack Obama’s team is looking to secure votes from…
Initiative 52, which would have allowed undocumented immigrants with an individual tax identification number, last year’s tax return and a form of government-issued ID from their country of origin to obtain driver’s licenses, will not be on November’s ballot. Supporters fell short of collecting the 86,105 required signatures by Monday’s…
If Barack Obama wins Colorado, he’ll win the election. That’s what the president said today in a campaign stop in Denver — and based on the focus of his speech, it’s clear that his campaign believes women’s issues are a key component of the battle to secure votes in this…
A week after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney brought his campaign to Jefferson County, President Barack Obama is making stops in Colorado, highlighting the importance of this key swing state. Today, thousands of supporters filed into the Auraria Event Center to hear Obama speak, which he’s scheduled to do moments…
When Colorado Senator Michael Bennet defeated Republican challenger Ken Buck in the 2010 U.S. Senate race, observers were surprised — but they also saw in Bennet’s approach a potential template that might be applied elsewhere. Last night, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow outlined the concept, pointing out in a segment on view…
Political groups in Colorado have more freedom to pour money into campaigns without disclosing their finances thanks to Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who has overstepped his bounds and rewritten election rules. At least that’s the charge of Colorado Ethics Watch and Colorado Common Cause, which have filed a complaint…
Fight Back Colorado, a group devoted to defeating lawmakers in November’s election who voted against a bill to legalize civil unions, is soliciting input on exactly which lawmakers to target. The campaign has launched a survey called Send ‘Em Packin’ that asks supporters to pick their three least favorite lawmakers…
Whenever an athlete is as successful, and as charming, as Centennial’s Missy Franklin has been, politicians will attempt to latch on. Witness Mitt Romney name-checking her at a Jefferson County Fairgrounds appearance yesterday. Another example? A call by Senator Marco Rubio (often mentioned as a possible Romney running mate) to…
Underscoring the importance of Colorado in the presidential election — and the significance of Jefferson County in the race to win this key swing state — Mitt Romney held a rally today in Golden, marking his first campaign stop since returning from his trip in Europe…
At long last, Denver has a new head watchdog. After more than six months of searching, Mayor Michael Hancock offered Nicholas Mitchell the independent monitor spot vacated by Richard Rosenthal in December. Provided the city council confirms the mayor’s choice, Mitchell will be the second in city history to hold…
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and his wife, journalist and author Helen Thorpe, have just issued a joint statement revealing that they are separating. The announcement notes that their parting isn’t acrimonious and stresses their devotion to their young son, Teddy. Here’s the statement:…
Marking one hundred days before Election Day, Barack Obama’s campaign held thousands of events across the country on Saturday, asking supporters to take at least one action for the President through an initiative called “It Takes One.” As part of that effort, his Colorado team brought not one, but two…
As tension between police and protesters in Anaheim continue to make national news, Occupy Denver activists staged solidarity protest last night — and faced four reported arrests of their own. Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson confirms two of these, though the group’s legal team has since bailed four people out…
Turns out that one half of Harold & Kumar just wasn’t enough to get Colorado voters excited about reelecting Barack Obama. In May, Kal Penn, i.e. Kumar, came to a Denver youth summit to promote Obama, and this weekend, John Cho, i.e. Harold, is getting in on the fun and…
Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the national Stolen Valor Act of 2006. That decision led to the dismissal of charges against local college student Rick Strandlof (“Will the real Rick Strandlof please stand up?”), whose friends became suspicious when he pretended to be a Marine…
In this week’s cover feature, “Will the Real Rick Strandlof please stand up?,” Westword delves into the fascinating story of 35-year-old college student Rick Strandlof, whose past false identities ended with a second chance last month. On June 28, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Stolen Valor…
Colorado’s minor political parties have banded together to express major gripes with new rules from Secretary of State Scott Gessler — rules that the groups say create conflicts of interest and threaten to undermine the integrity of upcoming elections…
Jose Luis Vazquez Campos has lost his battle to stay in the United States — for now, at least. Despite a rally and petition stop Campos’s deportation, the father of two young boys was unable to process the paperwork to request that his case be closed. Last week, Campos said…
The backers of Initiative 52, which would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, have been collecting signatures for months. “It’s going slow,” says Homero, a volunteer. Thus far, they’ve gotten 15,000 signatures notarized and have hundreds of volunteers trying to collect 75,000 more by the August 6 deadline. To…
In addition to campaigns and super PACs pouring money into local television ads, one of the many (dubious?) perks of Colorado being a key swing state in the presidential election is lots and lots of polls. And there’s good reason for all the attention: It’s shaping up to be a…
A year after taking office, Mayor Michael Hancock delivered his first State of the City address this morning, promoting a range of priorities, including restructuring the police department, increasing programs for children and a new online initiative he is calling “e-Denver.” That’s right, Denver is getting modern, y’all!…
