Colorado, there’s a lot on the ballot, and as is the case for all elections: there’s a lot at stake.
You have the civil right to vote. Regardless of who or what gets in your way, voting was a hard-fought right. It harks back to the European Enlightenment (e.g. Rousseau) and is still a valuable process. Powerful interests (i.e. the Koch Brothers lobbyists, international) would change this. As has been the case ever since the franchise first left the exclusivity of the rich and powerful.
In Colorado, you can vote in-person long in advance of an election.
This article is not for you, Early Voters.
This is for those of you that still are on the fence. Hopefully, this won’t be a push in any specific direction sans a single one: toward the polls.
There are No Excuses, not to vote as theSkimm points out. If not knowing the issues is one of your reasons, well, we got your back. Here’s almost everything you need to know before the polls close at 7 P.M. today.
Google it: “How to Vote”
There are a lot of sites and organizations that want to help you vote. Those that do their darndest to give you an idea of your ballot and polling place, follow:
Google, Vote Smart, Vote.org, Ballotpedia, theSkimm, Rock the Vote, Head Count, and Vote 411.
Others, strengthen your right to vote, by offering protection and support. For instance, the Election Protection of Vote.org, 866 Our Vote, and Common Cause. Still more offer support for info. These include Democracy Works, and support for getting to the polls (i.e. Lime, Uber and Lyft, and even Carpool Vote).
In some places, you can vote by text, online, and even in an app. The point is clear: we have the technology, we can vote better, faster, stronger!
No one likes getting stumped. Few enjoy voting per a candidate or party’s stump speech. So, here’s the rundown that you likely opened this article for Coloradans:
The Down ‘n’ Dirty
Follow the elections in Colorado at The Denver Post, and nationally, at Democracy Now! and The Intercept, here. Watch the latter, here.
About the Ballot
Before you get into what is on the ballot be sure to Vote Smart on your representatives. Then, learn the ABC’s and 123’s of why those measures aren’t simply 1-12 or something. 9News breaks the info, which you can find from the Secretary of State’s website, down nicely as follows:
Constitutional amendments that are referred to us by lawmakers require two-thirds vote of the legislature to make the ballot in the first place. If they do, they are given a letter, such as “Amendment Y.” Propositions that are referred to us by lawmakers require a majority vote of the legislature and are given a double letter, such as “Proposition AA,” but we don’t have any of those in 2018.
In 2018, the statewide issues are:
- Amendments V, U, W, X, Y, Z and A
- Amendments 73, 74 and 75
- Propositions 109, 110, 111 and 112
City and county issues on your ballot are numbered and lettered differently.
Ballot issues initiated by the public:
- 200-299 County issues
- 300-399 Municipal issues
- 400-499 School district issues
- 500-599 Political subdivision greater than a county
- 600-699 Political subdivision within a county
Ballot issues referred by a governmental body:
- 1A-1Z County issues
- 2A-2Z Municipal issues
- 3A-3Z School district issues
- 4A-4Z Political subdivision greater than a county
- 5A-5Z Political subdivision within a county
Now that you read the above, check out these statewide Amendments. Has your judgment on them changed?
Now check out the rest of those ballot measure, and go vote!
Find your ballots! Ballotpedia has those measures for you. The Colorado Independent also gives a good breakdown of the ballot.
Just Vote Colorado!
Here’s your Vote.org link, and your protections.
If you need a ride to the polls today or in the future, visit CarpoolVote.com. You can also call the interactive voice response service at 1-804-424-5335.
If you have any issues or concerns today or in the future with voting, visit www.866ourvote.org. You can also call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).
Brienna Parsons 