📌 Looking for stories about specific ballot measures? Check out these headlines:
- Ballot issues 2A through 2E: The Vibrant Denver bond package has passed in full, with Mayor Mike Johnston declaring victory.
- Referred Question 2F: Somehow the most popular ballot measure in Denver.
- Referred Question 2G: An effort to change the elections for Denver City Council’s at-large seats is passing.
- Referendum 310: Denver voters are strongly supporting the city’s ban on flavored nicotine. An effort to repeal the “flavor ban” is failing by a large margin, with more than 70 percent of voters saying they support the ban.
- Littleton’s Ballot Question 3A is passing. It would strictly limit zoning changes, making it harder for Littleton officials to allow greater housing density.
10:55 p.m. — Good night Denver!
This live blog is going to bed, as are the journalists running it. See you tomorrow with more coverage about the aftermath of the election.
— Alex Scoville, CPR and Denverite audience editor
10:20 p.m. — The results you've all been waiting for
Denver’s most popular ballot measure: Renaming the Department of Excise and Licenses, with support from about 74 percent of voters.
— Andrew Kenney, Denverite editor, and Kiara DeMare, Denverite reporter
9:45 p.m. — A look at some of the smaller projects the bond could finance.
The $950 million bond package has grabbed attention due to the inclusion of some major projects: $70 million for Park Hill Park, $150 million for infrastructure improvements around the proposed future Denver Broncos stadium, and $75 million for a new first responder center.
But the bond will also finance dozens of smaller projects that will have major impacts for several neighborhoods.
Measure 2A ill give Santa Fe Drive a long-awaited $30 million overhaul of the street. For years, residents and visitors have complained about narrow sidewalks, which aren’t currently in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Sun Valley, one of the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, will receive $5 million to finish construction on a riverfront park. Residents say the park would provide much-needed green space for the area.
The bond will also funnel money towards playground replacements citywide, as well as renovations to recreation center pools and cultural institutions.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
8:55 p.m. — The last time a bond measure failed.
In the last 20 years, Denver voters have been asked to weigh in on 21 bond measures. All but one have passed.
In 2021, Mayor Michael Hancock asked voters to approve Referred Question 2E, which would have approved $190 million in debt to build a new arena at the National Western Center and other renovations on the campus.
57 percent of voters went against the proposal. Residents and activists in the area described the measure as tone deaf.
If voters had chosen to reject any of the five measures in the Vibrant Denver bond, property tax will continue to be collected, which would help the city pay down existing debt faster.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
8:35 p.m. — More ballot returns are in, with no changes.
About 8,000 more ballots were counted, and all the ballot measures are still trending ahead. You can view the results right on the Denver Elections website.
— Alex Scoville, CPR and Denverite audience editor
8:10 p.m. — Democrats turn out
Though Denver elections are nonpartisan, a greater percentage of registered Democrats have cast ballots than Republicans, unaffiliated or third-party voters as voting ended on Election Day.
Just 14 percent of registered third-party Denver voters have cast ballots, while 24 percent of eligible unaffiliated voters, 31 percent of Republicans and 37 percent of Democrats have participated in the election.
The plurality of Denver voters are unaffiliated, yet the plurality of votes cast have been from Democrats: 70,057.
So far, 141,054 ballots have been cast in the city.
Unaffiliated voters make up nearly half of the state’s total electorate.
— Kyle Harris, Denverite senior reporter
8 p.m. — Mayor Mike arrives (and the Avs game is on)
Minutes after CNN called the pivotal New York City mayoral election for Zohran Mamdani, the keeper of the remote control began flipping channels.
Now, one television has been tuned to the Colorado Avalanche game, which is just minutes away from starting. A small crowd formed to watch.
Meanwhile, Mayor Mike Johnston entered the building. As he approached, Denver Parks and Recreation director Jolon Clark yelled out, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Mike Johnston!” He's expected to address the crowd soon.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
7:45 p.m. — Smoke and vape business owners mourn early results
Hudson Hill's patio, in Capitol Hill, was the scene of a small party for business owners who've been resisting Denver's impending flavored nicotine ban.
Before the first results came in, Wally Albarghouthi, who runs a vape wholesale business that sells to Denver retailers, said the small businesses he serves have been under a lot of pressure from outside the city. If Denver's ban was affirmed tonight, things would be even harder.
"Internationally, the whole financial situation is bad, with the inflation and the job market being too weak and people losing their jobs," he said.
The mood grew somber after the first results came in at 7 p.m. It looked pretty clear Denverites voted to affirm the ban. People who came to the party hung their heads as they studied the numbers.
"I think it's over," Albarghouthi.
Tomorrow, he and a lot of people he knows might have to reassess their business plans.
— Kevin J. Beaty, Denverite visual journalist
7:40 p.m. — Union-backed school board candidates
Denver school board candidates backed by the teachers union and supportive of Superintendent Alex Marrero were leading in early returns Tuesday night.
In all, 11 candidates were vying for four seats on the Denver school board.
Union-backed candidates had a solid lead in three of the races and a narrow lead in the fourth, according to early returns.
The election could change the balance of power on the board of Colorado’s largest school district. Teachers union-backed board members have controlled the board for the past six years. Members who support charter schools and other education reform strategies gained a bigger foothold in 2023 and have a chance to flip the board majority this year.
Continue reading on Chalkbeat.
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.
— Melanie Asmar/Chalkbeat Colorado
7:30 p.m. — Denverites say yes
As of the 7 p.m. ballot drop, Denver voters appeared to have been filling in the “yes” bubble on their ballots.
The most popular Denver measures were 2F, changing the name of the Department of Excise and Licenses to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, and 310, the ban on flavored tobacco. Both received just over 72 percent of public support.
Even more popular, among Denverites, was support for Proposition LL, the statewide measure to retain extra tax revenue collected for the Healthy School Meals for All program. Proposition MM, a statewide sales tax increase for healthy school meals, led with 70 percent of Denverites’ approval. (Statewide, 62 percent of voters favored LL and 56 percent of voters favored MM)
Measure 2G, the push to change how at-large city council races work, is leading with 57 percent approval.
Mayor Mike Johnston’s Vibrant Denver bond measures are leading strongly, with high support for health and human services, with around 60 percent of the vote or higher.
Amy Klein Molk is leading the Denver Public Schools At-Large race with just over 54 percent of the vote.
In the lead in the district school board races are Xochitl Gaytán in District 2; Donald “DJ” Torres in District 3; and Monica Hunter in District 4.
— Kyle Harris, Denverite senior reporter
7:20 p.m. — Good outlook for the bond
All five measures in the Vibrant Denver bond package are leading by a wide margin in early returns. As of 7 p.m., every component of the proposal had the support of close to 60 percent of voters or more.
About 91,000 ballots had been counted, which is likely about half of the total turnout.
Vibrant Denver, on the ballot as issues 2A through 2F, asked voters to approve $950 million in long-term debt for projects like new parks, new and renovated recreation centers, road improvements and more. Each individual measure had a different theme.
Bond supporters gathered at craft beverage hall Apres, across from the Governor’s Residence in Capitol Hill, for an election party. Attendees included former mayor Federico Peña and various city department heads and dozens of others. To accommodate the crowd, Apres' weekly Tuesday night bar trivia was cancelled.
As initial results dropped at 7 p.m. — showing good news for the bond — the reaction at the party was reserved. Quiet whoops were heard from corners of the room.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
7:05 p.m. — Polls are closed, and early results are in.
So far, all ballot measures are trending ahead. Here's a rundown of each one:
2A: 60% yes, 40% no
2B: 63% yes, 37% no
2C: 66% yes, 34% no
2D: 61% yes, 39% no
2E: 63% yes, 37% no
2F: 73% yes, 27% no
2G: 57% yes, 43% no
310: 73% yes, 27% no
— Alex Scoville, CPR and Denverite audience editor
6:20 p.m. — Younger voters appear to be handing the city's future over to older voters in this off-year election.
More than half of voters over 65 have turned in their ballots, while fewer than 9 percent of voters under 25 have.
Here’s the breakdown of eligible voters who have turned in their ballots:
— Kyle Harris, Denverite senior reporter
6:15 p.m. — A handful of people along Broadway have another thing to vote on.
More than 1,000 Broadway property owners, residents and business owners will decide today whether to form a new General Improvement District.
The special district would collect property taxes from all the commercial and residential property within its voting boundaries — about $1.1 million. It would join about a dozen other improvement districts around the city.
The GID would pay for a private security force, in addition to funding events and marketing for the district.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
6 p.m. — Late in-person voters are in luck. Most voting centers have no wait time.
The Highland Recreation Center has the longest wait, at around 17 minutes.
There is no wait at the following:
- Barnum Recreation Center
- Calvary Baptist Church of Denver
- Emily Griffith Technical College
- Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center
- Harvey Park Recreation Center
- Martin Luther King Jr. Library
- Montbello Recreation Center
- Regis University Claver Hall
- DU — Dimond Family Residential Center
Here is a list of wait times by site.
— Kyle Harris, Denverite senior reporter
5:50 p.m. — Why 310 is so topsy-turvy
I have had to keep a lot of facts in my brain this election season, but the hardest one to remember was how exactly Referendum 310 works. Here’s why.
Late last year, the Denver City Council passed a ban on the sale of flavored nicotine vaporizers and other flavored tobacco.
Some people didn’t like this, so they put Referendum 310 on the ballot to get rid of the new law. Now, you might assume that if you agree with those people, you would vote “yes” on their measure.
Wrong! A “yes” vote on 310 actually supports the ban.
That’s because this measure is a “referendum petition.” It’s a specific type of ballot measure that allows residents to challenge laws that were recently passed by the Denver City Council.
Legally speaking, the decision on the ballot is not “should we repeal this new law?” It’s “should we keep this new law?”
Humanly speaking, it’s all confusing. Vote yes to keep saying no to flavored nicotine. Or as the ballot language states: “Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver retain ordinance number 24-1765 … which prohibits the sale of flavored tobaссо products by retail tobacco stores?”
Anyway, this is why we write voter guides.
— Andrew Kenney, Denverite editor
5:40 p.m. — A lot of you voted since 9 a.m.!
This morning, the Colorado Secretary of State said about 92,000 voted in Denver so far.
In the five hours between that report and the 2 p.m. ballot count, another 25,000 Denverites submitted their ballots, bringing the total voters to 117,189.
In 2021, during the last coordinated election, 166,877 ballots were cast. Polls close at 7 p.m.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
5:30 p.m. — Everything we saw and everyone we met at the Denver Elections HQ
Denver Elections' Bannock Street headquarters was bustling with activity. Elections judges were hard at work processing ballots as they came in, taking over the building's atrium for the first time in recent memory.
Todd Davidson, Denver's director of elections, said the new layout was about speeding up processing on mail-in ballots.
"Denver likes to vote on Election Day, so we will get somewhere between 40 to 50 percent of our votes today, so we need more space," he told us during a media tour.
This is an off-year, with no major presidential or congressional candidates to vote for, which means turnout will be generally low. Davidson said that provides an opportunity to test a new system like this, work out the kinks and ready the division for next year's midterms.
Deputy Clerk and Recorder Sabriba Allie said it's become more important to ensure these systems are sound, since President Donald Trump has been pushing to end mail-in voting across the nation.
"We have been very concerned at what some of the federal legislation thats been proposed could potentially do to our system," she said.
To that end, she added, Denver Elections has been gaming out what could happen if federal officials attempt to influence voting in Colorado, like if the U.S. Postal Service suddenly requires stamps for every ballot.
"We are very good at proactively trying to prepare for any of those eventualities," Allie said. "We're trying to make sure we can continue to offer Denver voters the systems they've been accustomed to."
Elections judge Ashley Kidder said she has been feeling some dread about Trump's stance on mail-in voting, which she said is part of hr overall concern about recent threats to democracy. It's why she signed up to help run this election, for her second time.
"I like seeing how the sausage is made and I also think its important to support democracy," she said. "This is one of the ways I would like to keep democracy alive and functioning."
One of Denver Elections' ballot machines is named "Bruce Willis," a play on its brand name, Agilis. It sports at least two stickers with the "Die Hard" star's face, and everyone there was pretty jazzed that the machine has become so charismatic.
That is all.
We met a familiar face behind the scenes at Denver Elections' headquarters. Nayeli López is the daughter of Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López, who oversees this entire process. This was not her first rodeo.
"This is my third time, at least," she said. "I was a student election judge when i was in high school. He encouraged me and I came back because I really liked the work. Before I was 18, before I could vote, I felt like this was my way to contribute and be involved in an election."
She said that closeness to civic participation has been a point of pride, and that she's been working to instill that sense of responsibility in her peers.
"There's a lot of conversation about youth not really turning out to vote, especially 18-25, that's my age group," she said. "My friends knowing I'm involved in this encourages them."
— Kevin J. Beaty, Denverite visual journalist
3:50 p.m. — Bond elections have historically low turnout.
If you’ve already cast your ballot, or plan to soon, you’ll be among a select group of voters.
Last year’s general election, which was headlined by the high-profile presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, saw 66 percent of Denver voters — about 370,000 — cast their ballots.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Secretary of State’s office reported that as of 9 a.m. this morning, 92,031 Denver voters had submitted their ballots so far.
That’s not a huge cause for alarm — and voters may actually even be a little more engaged this year. More voters in Denver and Colorado have voted early compared to 2021 and 2023, according to state elections data.
Voter turnout for bonds on the ballot over the last 20 years has averaged about 28 percent in Denver, according to an analysis of election data from the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Almost all of those bond measures have passed.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
12 p.m. — An ode to the mail-in ballot
Forrest Katzer got to skip the middleman. When he showed up at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science's dropbox just before 11, election judges Kevin Lundy and Ray Elliott were waiting to personally receive his envelope.
"I'm glad that we still have mail-in ballots," he said, referring to President Donald Trump's ongoing attempts to roll back asynchronous voting systems, like Colorado's.
He, his wife and their newborn twins have been living at the Rose Medical Center nearby — so the convenience of this civic transaction hit extra hard today, he said.
Katzer told us he most wanted to weigh in on the flavored nicotine measure. He said he voted down the ban.
— Kevin J. Beaty, Denverite visual journalist
11:25 a.m. — What we saw on the corner with "No on 310" sign-wavers
Phil Guerin got to the corner of 17th and Colorado at 6:30 a.m. this morning to secure a prime location to share his message: Vote to repeal Denver's flavored nicotine ban.
Guerin is the owner of the smoke shop Myxed Up Creations and the president of Citizen Power!, the campaign behind ballot measure 310 that aims to end the ban, which Denver City Council approved earlier this year.
"I think we're extremely confident. This is a grassroots effort. Everybody keeps saying that we're big tobacco. We're not. We're local business people, and we've had a lot of support from the community in general," Guerin said.
Guerin said the mayor swung by, but he was sign-waving for the Vibrant Denver bond.
As Guerin was telling us about how he intended to stay out all day, a man walked up to us and yelled, "Vote yes! Vote yes!"
The man, who said he's an independent who leans Democrat, did stop for a second to speak with us, but refused to provide his name.
"(Flavored tobacco products are) gonna kill kids, it's really bad to get kids addicted to that stuff," he said.
"If they're a small business, let them sell something else."
— Kevin J. Beaty, Denverite visual journalist
11 a.m. — Illegal signage brings both sides together
Both the pro- and anti-flavored tobacco campaigns appear to be violating campaign rules on Election Day in Northeast Park Hill.
There is a red helium “No on 310” balloon to the stop sign at 33rd Avenue and Holly Street, while someone placed a “Yes on 310” sign in the lawn of the Pauline Robinson Library.
Campaigns are not allowed to place their signs in the public right-of-way. Look around town, and you’ll see many more examples of these rules being broken.
Update at 12 p.m.
Denverite heard back from both campaigns about the right-of-way signage.
"We have some enthusiastic and supportive volunteers who must not know all the rules. Thank you for letting us know!" wrote Jodi Radke, with the campaign to support the ban.
"Thank you for reaching out. Our grassroots campaign consists of a wide coalition of volunteers trying to help communicate our message and compete with Michael Bloomberg’s six million dollar campaign based on misinformation. Everything will be taken down after today," wrote Phil Guerin, who backs repealing the ban.
— Kyle Harris, Denverite senior reporter
10:20 a.m. — Did you vote because an influencer told you to?
Nearly a dozen online content creators (or influencers, if you will) were paid by the Vibrant Denver bond campaign to endorse the package on their social media.
That led to skaters, food reviewers and even a golden retriever posting videos on Instagram and TikTok, urging people to vote yes on Measures 2A through 2E.
The practice is completely legal — much like how political campaigns can put ads on television and radio, more and more operatives are choosing to pay influencers to reach audiences that don’t consume their news from traditional media.
But it's also paid speech that could backfire for creators who rely on perceived authenticity more than a traditional TV ad.
“I would say that the creators, it's like a gamble for them too, because if people start to distrust them, that is their revenue stream leaving,” said Megan Burns, a digital brand strategist.
— Paolo Zialcita, Denverite neighborhood reporter
9:40 a.m. — What happens if voters reject the bond?
We wrote a story all about this:
"Over the years, Denver voters have approved 6.5 mills of property taxes that can be used to pay off general obligation bonds — the kind of long-term debt that is included in Vibrant Denver.
Those 6.5 mills add about $200 to the annual property tax bill for a $500,000 home. In total, that’s more than $150 million per year of revenue for the city at present.
That money is fully occupied right now with paying off the debt for earlier bond packages, including the “RISE Denver” and “Elevate Denver” packages. (Bond debt can take decades to repay.)
But starting in 2026, more and more of the money will be freed up. By 2031, if no further debt is approved, the city would have well over $75 million in unused property tax revenue.
But that money can’t be used for any other purpose besides paying off general obligation bonds, according to Laura Swartz, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance. And those bonds can only be approved by voters.
So, if voters decided to reject Vibrant Denver this November, the city would be left with money that couldn’t be transferred to any other cause, such as fixing the city’s budget crisis. And, most likely, the city would try to convince voters to approve a different new bond proposal, since that’s the only allowable use of the money."
— Andrew Kenney, Denverite editor
9 a.m. — Ever wanted a full list of the projects that would be funded by the Vibrant Denver bond?
We've got you.
— Alex Scoville
4 a.m. — Welcome to Election Day!
Good morning! It's Tuesday, Nov. 4. Election Day.
This live blog will be your hub for all the updates, results and analysis from Denverite journalists today.
It may be an off-year election, but nearly $1 billion worth of debt for projects and improvements for the city are on your ballot with the Vibrant Denver bond. Also up for votes: Whether Denver's flavor ban will stand, critical changes to at-large elections and the one about the excise department.
Read more about everything you need to know with our voter guide.
As we get going, catch up with our latest election coverage:
- Michael Bloomberg sets Denver record with $5 million to support nicotine flavor ban
- Most people won’t vote on Vibrant Denver bonds. Here’s how the mayor’s trying to change their minds
- What voters in 4 truly random Denver places think of the mayor, the bond, Flock and more
- Inside the four-sentence fight over Littleton’s future
- This high-stakes fight in Denver’s government has voters yawning
- Businesses, livelihoods could pivot on how Denver voters feel about flavored tobacco products
- As Denver voters weigh a ban on flavored tobacco, this family’s story shows the broader fight
Polls are open until 7 p.m. We'll be back with more soon. See you then.
— Alex Scoville, CPR and Denverite audience editor
