Vote for Independent Journalism by Supporting Our Membership Campaign

On October 11, the day that county clerks began mailing November ballots to all registered voters in Colorado, I was sitting in the cordoned-off media section at the Gaylord Rockies ballroom, taking notes as former president Donald Trump briefly broke off from his immigration harangue to chastise the media. "The New York Times is the enemy of the people," he pronounced. "The Washington Post is the enemy of the people, too."

That inspired a MAGA supporter just beyond the barrier. "Tell the truth, all you bitches,” he hissed at me. “Your day is coming. Tell the truth.”

“We’re going to defund you,” warned his companion.

About that: Westword gets no funds from the government. But we do rely on a little help from our friends, which is why we're launching a new, election-oriented membership campaign tomorrow, the first day of early voting.

As a free paper and website, we rely entirely on advertising revenue and contributions from readers to cover the costs of our newsroom. Our membership program is a relatively recent addition: We introduced it six years ago as a way to help fund our local journalism as the advertising world changed. Since then, the membership program has become increasingly important...not just as a means of support, but also as a way to connect with our readership (particularly those members who've come to one of our in-house concerts).

And as the election approaches, connection is key. No matter how you feel about them, the New York Times and Washington Post aren't going to offer in-depth, independent coverage of the fourteen measures on the Colorado ballot, much less the dozen proposals on the Denver ballot. But Westword will. Our work matters, especially as people prepare to cast their votes and are looking for reliable information. Here are just a few examples of our election coverage so far:

“General Election for Dummies: How to Register and Vote in Colorado”
”Where Does Colorado’s Ballot Booklet Come From?”
“Trump Goes All In on Venezuelan Gang Alarmism in Aurora.” (Did I tell the truth in that one? You be the judge!)

Check the Election topic on westword.com for dozens of additional stories, including more coverage of Trump's rally as well as opinion pieces from readers who want to share their thoughts on certain ballot measures.

If you like the work we're doing to keep you informed on the election as well as other important issues, please consider becoming part of our latest membership campaign. But whether you can support us this round or not, our vote is in:

Westword readers are the best.