When and Where to Vote (and Some Suggestions for How to Vote, Too)

The election is Tuesday, November 4. Here in this state that’s the gold standard for safe, fair elections, it’s too late to mail in your ballot…but you can drop it off at one of the voting boxes or voting centers that abound across the metro area (find the nearest location here). At these voting centers, you can also vote in person if you didn’t get your ballot, or simply like to see democracy in action. And if you’re not yet registered to vote, you can do that at a voting center, too, up until almost 7 p.m. Tuesday…and then have your vote counted in this election!

There are only two statewide measures on the ballot — LL and MM, both involving school lunches — but most municipalities have many more questions, ranging from school board races to zoning issues to whether that municipality should add a billion dollars of bond projects to its plate (looking at you, Denver).

So If you haven’t already voted, get that ballot that arrived in the mail (as well as any official voting guide you received), fill your coffee cup, and read up. Residents of the Mile High City Denver should start with Hannah Metzger’s overview of Denver’s eight ballot measures. And if you want to know how other people would like you to vote, we’ve published many opinion pieces on Denver proposals, both pro and con.

Here they are:

Regarding 2G

“Denver Question 2G Simplifies City Council Elections to Guarantee Majority Winners,” an argument for a new way to elect at-large members of Denver City Council from councilmembers Kevin Flynn and Darrell Watson.

Regarding 2A through 2E

“Like the Perfect Box of Pastries, There’s Something for Everyone in the Vibrant Denver Bond,” Mary Nguyen’s piece on why you should vote for 2A through 2E.

“Before You Vote on the Vibrant Denver Bond, Consider These Questions,” architect Cheryl Spector’s advice for thinking, hard, before voting on 2A through 2E.

“A $950 Million Bond Deserves Full Transparency,” accountant Erik Clarke’s look at the procee behind the Vibrant Denver Bond proposal.

“Bonds Are Debt — Not Revenue — and There’s Nothing Vibrant About Debt,” Jason Bailey’s piece on why you should vote against 2A through 2E.

Bailey would gladly have written many more — he sent a clip of his debate with Mayor Mike Johnston at a recent community meeting — but we try to balance the submissions that come in on these issues. No one sent an argument against 2G, for example, and no one submitted anything at all about the proposal to change the name of the Department of Excise & Licenses. But there’s one more hot topic:

Regarding 310

“Denver Should Vote Yes on 310,” John Bailey’s argument in favor of the flavored tobacco ban.

“The Unintended Consequences of Flavor Bans,” Marina Murphy’s argument against the flavored tobacco ban.

Several readers complained that Murphy is not a Colorado resident, and has worked with tobacco-funded efforts. Of course, Michael Bloomberg is not a Colorado resident, and has poured $2.7 million into the pro-310 campaign to ensure that Denver’s flavored tobacco ban remains in place. So we just published one last essay on that measure:

“Vote Down 310, and Send Conventional Wisdom Up in Smoke,” an argument against the flavored tobacco ban by Jared Whitley, an award-winning Rocky Mountain columnist.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on any ballot measure or one of these opinion pieces, send them to editorial@westword. In the meantime, start reading!