Once upon a time, there was a ballot. A really, really big ballot.
This is a big election, in more ways than one. The presidential election has top billing, of course. But most of your ballot's double-sided pages are consumed by dozens of statewide and city ballot measures.
The measures Denverites will vote on are wide-ranging — like new sales taxes to fund affordable housing and the city's "safety net" hospital, but also bans on slaughterhouses and animal fur products.
We're here to help you make decisions by Election Day, Nov. 5, that will impact your life and community.
Thanks for trusting us for your voter guide. If you have more questions, reach out to us at [email protected].
🗳️ Jump ahead
| 2Q | 2R | 2S | 2T | 2U | 2V | 2W| 308 | 309 | 4A | 6A | 7A |
| Dates to know | How to vote | Statewide voter guide |
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2Q
If Denverites vote yes, the city’s sales tax would increase the sales tax by 0.34 percent — that equals an extra 3.4 cents on a $10 purchase — to fund Denver Health, Colorado’s flagship safety net hospital.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2R
Ballot Measure 2R, a 0.5 percent sales-tax increase, is Mayor Mike Johnston's new funding mechanism to build affordable housing in Denver.
The proposal would add an extra half-percent tax to applicable sales, equivalent to 5 cents on a $10 purchase.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2S
Ballot Measure 2S would make the existing Denver Department of Human Rights and Community Partnerships into a full cabinet agency, giving it more influence and more stable funding as part of the mayor’s inner circle of advisors.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2T
Denver voters will decide if the city should remove its citizenship requirement for police and fire department jobs, allowing non-citizens with certain work and residency qualifications to apply for roles in those departments.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2U
Denver voters will decide if more city employees can have collective bargaining rights, which would let them negotiate as part of a union, assuming they can get enough workers to join — something currently only allowed for the city’s police and firefighters, as well as teachers employed by Denver Public Schools.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2V
Another labor proposal, Measure 2V, would change some of the rules for how the city negotiates with the local firefighters’ union.
As it stands, Denver’s collective bargaining policies with the union for city firefighters are different from the city’s policies for the unions of the Denver Police Department and the Denver Sheriff Department.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 2W
Denver voters could change the approval process for elected officials’ salaries this November.
Currently, city council has to vote on all raises for elected officials, including their own. If voters approve the ballot measure, those raises would instead go into effect automatically, without requiring city council approval.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 308
Voters will decide whether to put strict limits on fur products, such as mink stoles or animal fur-lined coats, in the city of Denver, with some exceptions. The proposal would mostly ban the sale, distribution and trade of such products within the city’s borders.
More about Ballot Measure 308.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 309
Voters will decide whether to ban slaughterhouses in Denver — a city with just one slaughterhouse, the Superior Farms lamb processing plant in Globeville.
More about Ballot Measure 309.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 4A
Denver Public Schools is asking voters to approve $1.9 billion of debt and interest, which would be the largest in the district’s history, while keeping taxes at current levels.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 6A
If Ballot Measure 6A passes, voters will authorize $847 million of debt and interest to pay for projects and improvements around downtown, going far beyond the Denver Downtown Development Authority's current focus around Union Station, while keeping taxes at current levels.
🗳️ Ballot Measure 7A
Measure 7A would permanently allow the Regional Transportation District to keep revenue that would otherwise be returned to taxpayers.
🗳️ How to vote
Where can I turn in my ballot? How do I register to vote? We answer those questions and more.
🗳️ Dates to know
Oct. 11: Ballots are mailed out
Oct. 28: Your last day to return your ballot by mail for it to be counted. Also the last day to register to vote only if you want to receive a ballot in the mail.
Nov. 5: Election Day! Polls close at 7 p.m.
🗳️ Looking for other Colorado races?
Our colleagues at Colorado Public Radio have a voter guide that covers the statewide ballot measures and other races that impact you. Read that here.
