11:45 p.m.: So, we're signing off.
The final ballot drop is in, and the needle (not that one) hasn't moved for the city ballot measures.
We'll be back in the morning with more news. Ballot counting continues tomorrow, too, and Denver Elections promises the next update at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Thank you for sticking with us. We'll talk soon.
— Alex Scoville
11:30 p.m.: The Democrat watch party is over, and the mood is ... well ...
The mood at the Colorado Democratic Party watch party in Denver was frantic and nervous. Eyes were glued to television screens, watching as state after state, battleground after battleground, started to turn red in the presidential and U.S. Senate elections.
As the mood shifted, so did the ability of prominent Democrats to hold the audience’s attention.
“Let me do a teacher trick on you,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said. “Clap once if you can hear me. Clap twice if you can hear me. If you can hear me clap three times.”
Party hosts wrapped up the party close to 10 p.m., but groups of Democrats stayed behind at the bar to drown their sorrows.
Jennifer Ramos, a life-long Coloradan, had just ordered a drink and was deciding what she was going to do with the rest of her night. She worried that politicians were ignoring the reality of the situation.
“I think we did that in 2016 and I don’t know, I might just be a pessimist,” she said. “I don't know if we're ignoring the problem.”
— Paolo Zialcita
10:47 p.m.: You may not realize what a large operation Denver Health is.
Its total budget is about $1.3 billion. That’s a bit less than the city’s entire general fund and a bit more than that of Denver Public Schools.
The institution, which is the state’s primary safety net hospital, employs more than 8,200 people and treats nearly 300,000 people annually, in about 1.3 million patient visits.
It cares for people in many settings, like in jails, in 10 community health centers and at 19 school-based health centers.
— John Daley
10:25 p.m.: Mayor Mike Johnston sees a path forward for his affordable housing proposal
“We know this was a big swing and a big idea. We're asking the city to make a big change on a historic opportunity. So we always knew it would be a battle, but we think there's a path,” Johnston told Denverite in an interview on Election Night.
— Paolo Zialcita
10:12 p.m.: The penultimate ballot drop is here
And the standings for the citywide ballot measures did not nudge a bit. In case you needed a refresher:
2Q (Denver Health): 57-43
2R (Affordable housing sales tax): 48-52
2S (Human Rights Office): 64-46
2T (Repeal citizenship requirement for police and fire): 51-49
2U (Collective bargaining): 64-36
2V (Fire union negotiations): 66-34
2W (City Council salary approval): 60-40
308 (Fur ban): 42-58
309 (Slaughterhouse ban): 36-64
4A (DPS bond): 74-26
6A (Downtown bond): 81-19
7A (RTD revenue): 78-22
One more batch of votes awaits us at 11:30 p.m.
— Alex Scoville
9:25 p.m.: How Denver’s votes changed from 2016 to 2020
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine got about 74 percent of the vote in Denver in 2016. In all, about 245,000 voted for her and Tim Kaine.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris did significantly better in 2020, collecting tens of thousands more votes.
A couple things changed between the two elections:
1. Far fewer people voted for third-party candidates. In the 2016 election, nearly 25,000 Denverites voted for Libertarian, Green or other candidates. In 2020, it was fewer than 10,000. Presumably, a lot of those people instead voted for the major candidates.
2. A lot more people voted in general. Where did Biden find nearly 70,000 more Democratic voters? Some of them may have voted third-party in 2016. But a lot of them probably didn’t vote at all in the previous election. We can see that in the turnout data.
While “only” 72 percent of registered local voters turned out in 2016, almost 80 percent participated in 2020. That’s a very high number, and it would appear a lot of them went to Biden.
3. Both Trump and Biden did better in Denver in 2020. Biden got about 313,000 votes in Denver, improving on Clinton’s total by nearly 70,000 votes.
To put that in perspective: Trump’s entire vote total for 2020 was about 72,000 votes. Biden attracted nearly as many new votes as Trump got total votes.
Nonetheless, Trump actually got several thousand more Denver votes in 2020 compared to 2016. It goes back to the national story of the Biden-Trump election: Trump didn’t lose because his support eroded; it didn’t. He lost because Biden turned out a lot more voters and won over third-party voters. That was true in Denver and across the country.
— Andrew Kenney
9:18 p.m.: Rosy-looking results for a massive DPS bond and for city workers' collective bargaining
We have more about the early ballot returns for 4A and 2U.
9 p.m.: More scenes from the Democrat party as local wins stack up and the presidential race remains tense
— Kevin J. Beaty
8:35 p.m.: Another batch of ballot returns are in. Things haven't changed much.
Percent totals only shifted by a point, if at all. Here's your updated ballot measure standing.
2Q (Denver Health): 57-43
2R (Affordable housing sales tax): 48-52
2S (Human Rights Office): 64-46
2T (Repeal citizenship requirement for police and fire): 51-49
2U (Collective bargaining): 64-36
2V (Fire union negotiations): 66-34
2W (City Council salary approval): 60-40
308 (Fur ban): 42-58
309 (Slaughterhouse ban): 36-64
4A (DPS bond): 74-26
6A (Downtown bond): 81-19
7A (RTD revenue): 78-22
— Alex Scoville
8:25 p.m.: Earlier today, gentle giants delighted the voting crowds
Mildred and Finn won Election Day at Marston's Southwest Recreation Center. Issues brought people here to vote, but there were some real smiles when the opportunity to pet two horse-sized (almost) dogs presented itself.
— Kevin Beaty
8:20 p.m.: Kamala Harris officially wins Colorado, per AP
It wasn't a surprise.
— Alex Scoville
8:11 p.m.: More on the slaughterhouse and fur bans
It looks like Denverites are learning toward not passing two measures that asked voters to protect animal rights by putting new limits on businesses.
Read more about the 308 results so far here, and the 309 ones here.
— Alex Scoville
8 p.m.: Democrats celebrate despite nerves about nationwide results
Doors to the Colorado Democratic Party were open for half an hour before party chair Shad Murib took the stage.
"Results around the country are starting to come in and we don't know anything yet, but we're so excited to be here sharing this moment with you."
Shortly afterward, U.S. Rep. Diane DeGette gave a speech, declaring victory over Republican challenger Valdamar Archuleta and a handful of third party candidates. With 185,000 votes counted at 7:10 p.m., DeGette was ahead by 57 points.
She urged attendees to stay hopeful as the night's results unfold.
"I know it will happen because you can see it here. We have the best ground game of either campaign, the best ground game I've seen in my many years in Congress," she said.
While on stage, DeGette vowed to codify Roe v. Wade, reduce health care costs and fight for environment justice in her 15th term for Congress.
— Paolo Zialcita
7:57 p.m.: A victorious scene at a party for slaughterhouse workers
Dozens of workers with Superior Farms sit around sit around a conference room in the third floor of the National Western Complex.
This is a party for workers — many, immigrants, who don’t have a say in their future. Kyle Clark is projected on the walls.
Workers cheered when results came in on 308 and 309. The mood is upbeat in the room and people say they’re relieved to still have their jobs.
"I had one thing on my mind, that we had to do everything that was in our hands to make sure that this ban was not gonna pass," said Isabel Bautista, an operations manager with Superior Farms. "And that's what we did."
— Kyle Harris
7:45 p.m.: Brat t-shirts at the Dem party
Morris Pilkington is attending the Democratic watch party with his husband and wearing one of the signature memes of 2024: A Charli XCX/Kamala Harris crossover shirt.
Pilkington says he and his husband moved to Colorado from Oklahoma to live in a "safer state."
"As two gay men, it's kind of a scary election," he said. "So I'm hoping we can exhale for once in the last couple of years and hopefully we can move forward."
— Paolo Zialcita
7:25 p.m.: Early trends in the ballot measure results
If turnout resembles 2020, we should expect a little less than 400,000 votes in Denver.
So far, the city has counted about 185,000 — meaning that we probably have less than half the votes counted so far.
That said, here are the early trends for our Denver ballot measures:
A mixed bag for new taxes
A proposal to raise sales taxes to support Denver Health, 2Q, has 57 percent approval in the early vote.
In contrast, voters appear to be more skeptical about a proposal to raise sales taxes to pay for affordable housing. It had about 48 percent approval as of 7:15 p.m. That’s narrow enough that it could still come back as more votes are counted, of course.
Changes to city operations are mostly passing
Denver voters are closely split on 2T, which would remove citizenship requirements for people who want to be police and firefighters in Denver. That’s running at 50.7 percent approval.
Voters were much more enthusiastic about a range of other changes to the city operations. Proposals to grant more union rights to public employees and make some other administrative changes were all flying along with 60 percent or more approval.
Animal rights proposals are trailing
Proposals to ban slaughterhouses (309) and sales of new fur (309) in Denver are both trailing significantly.
The fur ban had about 42 percent approval, while the slaughterhouse ban had only about 36 percent approval. The meat and fur industries mounted a substantial campaign to stop the bans, highlighting the potential impact on more than 100 local workers.
Debt packages and RTD measure are cruising
Denver Public Schools (4A) and the Downtown Development Authority (6A) both asked voters to approve major debt packages, which will be paid for with current tax rates. Both proposals are performing strongly, with at least 70 percent approval.
Ballot Issue 7A, which would allow RTD to keep its current revenues, also has 71 percent approval across the district. If it passes, RTD will be spared from making major cuts under TABOR requirements.
It goes to show: It’s a lot easier to convince voters to spend money if it doesn’t come with a tax increase.
— Andy Kenney
7:18 p.m.: And now the nervous watching begins
Jody Money of Aurora is nervous at the Democratic party as he watches the initial numbers roll in.
"I went to bed last night feeling really hyped, but so far, at least from what's been counted up, this does not feel like the electorate that I hoped would come out," he said.
— Paolo Zialcita
7:10 p.m.: Meanwhile, the Dems are handing out booze
Doors are finally opening to the public at the Democrat watch party at Number Thirty Eight.
Upon entry, guests are asked: What are you having to drink? State party officials are manning two coolers full of alcohol — there are two beers from New Belgium Brewing or a High Noon available for free.
— Paolo Zialcita
7:08 p.m.: The first look at how ballot measures are doing
The Denver Health sales tax is trending yes, but the affordable housing sales tax is much closer. The proposed bans on fur and slaughterhouses in Denver are both leaning toward failing.
2Q (Denver Health): 57-43 (Yes-No)
2R (Affordable housing sales tax): 48-52
2S (Human Rights Office): 64-46
2T (Repeal citizenship requirement for police and fire): 51-49
2U (Collective bargaining): 64-36
2V (Fire union negotiations): 66-34
2W (City Council salary approval): 60-40
308 (Fur ban): 42-58
309 (Slaughterhouse ban): 36-64
4A (DPS bond): 73-27
6A (Downtown bond): 82-18
7A (RTD revenue): 78-22
Denver drops ballot results every hour and a half. So, we won't know more until 8:30 p.m. We'll bring you other scenes and analysis until then.
– Alex Scoville
7 p.m.: Polls have closed!
Our first look at the state of the ballot measures will land shortly.
– Alex Scoville
6:55 p.m.: Full hearts, warm sleeves, can't lose.
A sweater has been delivered to Paolo.
6:20 p.m.: Play that funky (?) music, Democrats
Hello Denverites, it’s me, neighborhood reporter Paolo Zialcita. I’m at the Colorado Democratic Party watch party at Number Thirty Eight in the River North district. (It also overlaps with the Five Points neighborhood.)
I’m paying attention to a few Denver ballot measures tonight, specifically the ones on collective bargaining, public school funding, and affordable housing sales tax.
I'm also paying attention to something even more important: The playlist.
Music is the life of the party. It often defines the vibe of the night.
Now, I’m not sure if the playlist at the Democrat is as carefully curated as the Brat-themed parties that we were graced with this summer, but it’s still worth noting what the state Democrat party has been bumping.
For this party, they’re really pushing the classics. We of course have some bona fide hits in Bruce Springsteen and America (the band). I was extremely pleased when the opening notes of “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac graced the speakers. My colleague Kevin Beaty was singing along to “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates.
At one point, Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Let Me Down” played. An apt title for a room of Democrats eagerly awaiting results in swing states.
— Paolo Zialcita
6:15 p.m.: Wait times remain long at many polling locations
Long lines are piling up at a handful of Denver polling places. The city is reporting waits of close to two hours at Glenarm Recreation Center and Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center. Other spots are closer to an hour, but many more have short waits or no waits reported.
You must be in line to vote by 7 p.m. But if you still have time, you also could consider going to another location. Refer to the city’s map to see wait times.
— Andy Kenney
6:10 p.m.: One vote for 2Q (the Denver Health one)
"I just think it's good to take care of the community, and I think that (Denver Health is) a great asset for our community in general," said Lyndsey Saxon, a Denver voter who supported Ballot Measure 2Q.
— John Daley
6 p.m.: Auraria students hit the polls
Students at the Auraria Campus are making time to vote in between classes.
Inside the Tivoli Student Union, students lined up in droves to cast their ballot.
The Auraria campus is home to Denver’s three colleges, which boast high attendance from first-generation students of color — many of whom are voting for the first time.
— Paolo Zialcita
5:45 p.m.: A 90-minute wait at one polling place.
A long line formed outside a mobile voting booth in downtown Denver on Tuesday afternoon. The line was moving slow — three people left after an elections official told them it would take 90 minutes to cast their ballot.
Lesley Bartick decided to wait it out. She moved from Florida to Colorado in search of a more liberal political climate.
Bartick is “creature of habit. I love voting on Election Day. I've done it every time I've been able to vote since I've turned 18. I'm 45,” she said.
— Paolo Zialcita
5:40 p.m.: It's snowing.
Snow flurries began to fall over North denver, as the smell of dog food permeated every corner of RiNo. (Ed. note: Kevin is sending back photos from the Colorado Democratic Party at Number Thirty Eight tonight.)
— Kevin J. Beaty
4:30 p.m.: Denverites We Met (Election's Version)
—Kevin J. Beaty
4:15 p.m.: The most popular drop box in Denver
The Denver Elections Division lists 47 different dropboxes where voters can leave their ballots.
So far, this election’s most popular one is outside the Denver Police Department's District 3 office on University Boulevard, which has counted nearly 10,000 ballot drops so far.
The one at Denver Botanic Gardens is a close second, followed by the rec centers at Washington Park and Green Valley Ranch. That’s according to data released by the Denver Elections Division.
In all, nearly 200,000 people are estimated to have used the 24-hour drop boxes as of the last update. They are far more popular than the city’s Voter Service and Polling Centers, where you can also vote in person or drop a ballot indoors.
One other interesting note: The city generates these daily estimates of ballot volume by weighing the drop boxes.
—Andrew Kenney
2:20 p.m.: Will RTD be deBruced?
I’m Nathaniel Minor, CPR’s transportation reporter, and I’ll be covering Measure 7A — the Regional Transportation District’s attempt to lift some Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights restrictions — for you tonight.
If you need a refresher, here’s what’s at stake:
TABOR limits how much money governments in Colorado can collect and spend. Many governments have convinced voters to lift those limits — a process known as deBrucing, in a nod to TABOR’s author Douglas Bruce — but one of RTD’s TABOR exemptions is expiring.
Measure 7A would permanently exempt RTD’s entire budget from TABOR limits. If it fails, RTD has estimated TABOR refunds of $2.4 million in 2027 and $3.7 million in 2029, which would be somehow split among taxpayers.
But because of TABOR’s “ratchet-down effect” that kicks in after a recession and recovery, refunds could potentially be much higher. The agency has estimated that it would have refunded $650 million between 2007 and 2019 if TABOR restrictions were in place then.
— Nathaniel Minor
1:35 p.m.: The one time (and place) Trump won in Denver
Back in 2016, Hillary Clinton was the most popular candidate in 345 of Denver’s election precincts. Shocking, I know…
But she didn’t win them all. Future former (and possibly future, again) president Donald Trump managed to get the most votes in a single precinct. He took a plurality of Precinct 132, which represents an odd little leg of Denver at the farthest southwest edge of the city. It mostly consists of Raccoon Creek Golf Course, near Wadsworth and Bowles.
Trump didn’t actually win a majority of the roughly 1,500 votes that were cast there. He took 46.5 percent. But Clinton only got 43 percent. The other votes mostly went to the Libertarian candidate, along with a handful for the Green Party and a few more for other minor parties.
(Overall, Clinton took about 74 percent of the vote in Denver in 2016, and of course she won Colorado as a whole.)
In 2020, Trump didn’t win any Denver precincts during his reelection bid.
Interestingly, it wasn’t necessarily that he lost supporters in the area. He still took about 44 percent of the vote in that Raccoon Creek precinct. That would have been enough to surpass Clinton’s vote share back in 2016.
But it wasn’t enough to surpass Biden in 2020, who consolidated 53 percent of the precinct’s votes. The biggest difference was in the third-party vote. It appears that a fair amount of Denver voters went Libertarian or Green in 2016, but instead swung for Biden in 2020.
— Andrew Kenney
1 p.m.: The voters are out in Aurora
— Hart Van Denburg
12:40 p.m.: Another sales tax for Denver
Hi there, I’m John Daley. I cover the health beat at CPR and I’m tracking Ballot Measure 2Q in Denver.
It asks the city’s voters to raise sales taxes to fund Denver Health, Colorado's safety net hospital, which provides services to patients regardless of their ability to pay.
If passed, the measure would raise the sales tax by .34 percent, which is an additional 3.4 cents on a $10 purchase. The measure would raise about $70 million annually, if voters approve it, according to the group backing the measure.
The money would help shore up a large and growing gap in the hospital’s budget, which faces a number of financial challenges. Denver Health serves nearly 300,000 people a year. But opponents wonder if more money will fix the problem.
— John Daley
11:45 a.m.: How do people vote from abroad?
Colorado has tried to make voting as easy as possible for the citizens within its borders. But for Coloradans living overseas, getting a ballot back home in time to be counted can be a bit of a challenge.
CPR News Fellow Kiara DeMare looked into what it takes to be an overseas voter and how the process works.
— Megan Verlee
11:15 a.m.: "Ballot irregularities" under investigation
Denver law enforcement officials are investigating reports of ballot irregularities tied to an adult day care operating in Denver.
The Denver District Attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday they have opened an investigation and the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s office said the probe could extend to other counties in the metro area.
The irregularities were discovered with a number of voter signature discrepancies, and they were all associated with a single address, the clerk’s office said.
You can find the full story here.
— Allison Sherry
11 a.m.: A confidence vote on downtown
One of the most interesting items on the Denver ballot — at least on 2,500 Denver ballots — relates to whether the Downtown Denver Development Authority should take on $847 million of debt and interest to pay for projects and improvements around downtown.
This isn’t a new tax. It simply takes tax revenue and invests it in downtown projects.
If this passes, the Downtown Denver Development Authority, which is currently focused on the area around Union Station, could expand to a wider swath of downtown. It would help fund all sorts of civic projects. Some of the possibilities include funding new housing, converting offices to homes, opening daycare centers and more.
This is a consequential measure for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston who has made downtown revitalization a focus of his second year in office. How residents vote will say a lot about whether they have confidence in how Johnston is leading the city.
– Kyle Harris
10:30 a.m.: A quick note on the DPS bond
In two days, Denver Public Schools will unveil a list of schools identified for closure. Administrators said declining enrollment trends and financial difficulties have made the changes necessary.
I spoke to parents about the dichotomy: They’re being asked to approve a $975 million school bond to improve the school district, even as some worry that their kid’s school could be closed.
“If you are asking to open new schools when you are closing schools, it makes zero sense to me,” one parent told me.
DPS insisted the bond is needed to fund much-needed renovations across the district. The bond can only pay for infrastructure; it can’t pay for personnel.
– Paolo Zialcita
10:15 a.m.: "I'm participating. That's the best I can do."
CPR's Sarah Mulholland spoke to some voters at a recreation center in Denver's Highlands neighborhood this morning. Alex Wood, a 30 year resident of the city, said the current political climate has had a deep personal impact on him.
"It's really polarized me. It's made me a changed person, but yeah, we'll see," Wood said. "I'm just glad we get to vote in this country. And it seems to be a fair election compared to some countries where you got to vote for [Vladimir] Putin or stay home."
Wood described himself as a progressive who wants to "see things change for the better." He voted yes on most of the measures on his ballot.
"I'm participating. That's the best I can do," he said.
Emily Lindner also stopped at the Highlands Recreation Center to drop off her ballot this morning. She said she's voting to protect her kids' future.
"Women's rights and abortion are my biggest issue. I work at Planned Parenthood. It's very important to me. I have a daughter, I have a son. Those rights as well as just general tyranny we need to avoid," she said.
Voters have until 7 p.m. to turn in their ballots or get in line to vote in person.
You can find more voter voices from this morning here.
– Matt Moret
10 a.m.: Where’s the moral line on the slaughterhouse ban?
One of the goals of the slaughterhouse ban is to force voters to weigh the ethics of eating meat.
While some in the animal rights movement have moved away from encouraging people to go vegan, they say putting an issue like this on the ballot forces individuals to consider the possibility of a future without meat — for themselves and society as a whole.
And that move has worked. Voters Denverite spoke with have told us that they are conflicted on the issue and are reassessing their own practices.
Superior Farms is the only slaughterhouse in the city. There, 164 workers would lose their jobs if this passes. The factory slaughters roughly 1,500 sheep a day.
While voters Denverite has spoken to are not particularly concerned about the national corporation’s survival, vegetarians and meat eaters alike do worry about those workers.
Interestingly, some meat eaters I’ve spoken to are supporting the ban because they think killing animals in a factory is unnecessarily cruel. Some vegans are opposing the ban because they’re worried about workers.
In a country where most people eat meat and nearly half are against factory farming, the way voters are parsing this measure out are complicated.
– Kyle Harris
9:30 a.m.: The 101 on 308 and 309 (aka the fur and slaughterhouse bans)
Howdy! I’m Kyle Harris, and I’m going to be covering two local ballot measures, both focused on animal rights. One would ban slaughterhouses in the city. The other would ban most uses of fur. These measures are fascinating because while they’re focused on Denver, they’re part of the animal rights movement’s national efforts to use ballot measures to end what they say is the exploitation of animals for food and clothing.
Pro-Animal Future co-founder Aidan Kankyoku is one of the architects of the measure. Here’s how he put it: “This is about declaring war on the factory farming industry.” Denverites will decide today how that first ballot in the war plays out.
Whether the effort succeeds or not, animal rights activists say they’ve already won. Both the fur and livestock industries have spent mightily to defeat the efforts. Opponents of the bans say they are going to be economically destructive and attack Denver’s Western values.
– Kyle Harris
9 a.m.: Aurora was in the national spotlight (and in Trump’s stump speeches)
Allegations of Venezuelan gang activity skyrocketed Aurora – specifically the Delmar Parway neighborhood – into national news and the presidential debate.
The Denverite team worked very hard to sort out what was fact and what was fiction, and to talk to the real people being impacted.
(If you’re rushed today – and I don’t blame you – there’s even a five-minute explainer.)
– Alex Scoville
8:30 a.m.: A Jon Stewart interview got a Denver elections worker demoted, a new lawsuit claims
ICYMI, Kyle’s story yesterday: A former Denver Elections worker is suing the city, alleging she was wrongfully punished for appearing on a show with Jon Stewart in 2022. Read on here.
– Alex Scoville
8 a.m.: Voter turnout is not great so far
As of Monday, Nov. 4, just 209,620 votes in Denver County had been cast. We’re trailing behind El Paso and Jefferson counties for turnout, and all of Colorado is sleepier than it was in 2020. More stats from the secretary of state’s office here.
– Alex Scoville
7:30 a.m.: Help! I’m about to leave for work/school drop-off/emergency coffee and need to find the ballot drop box closest to me!
Don’t fear, mysterious but universal Denverite! The secretary of state’s website has a search tool that will show you a map of all the closest polling locations and drop boxes. (Also, can you grab me a coffee too?)
– Alex Scoville
4 a.m.: Good morning Denver!
As you may have heard, it's Election Day. And a bit of a big one at that.
The presidential race has top billing on your ballot (and likely on your nerves, too). But Denverites are also weighing in on a dozen ballot measures that could change many parts of life in the city.
It made for an intimidatingly long ballot. But our voter guide is here to help you fill yours out if you still need to. No judgment — polls don't close until 7 p.m., after all.
Our peers at Colorado Public Radio have the statewide measures covered in their guide.
It's not even too late to register to vote — you do have to show up in person to do that, though. More details on the voting nitty-gritty here. We love guides!
We'll be back throughout the day (and the night) with more updates. Thanks for being here with us.
— Alex Scoville
