By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
With many Colorado voters already having ballots in hand, soon decisions will need to be made on a variety of ballot initiatives, not the least of which is Proposition 131.
The measure is an attempt to adopt Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) in Colorado. It would overhaul the existing election processes, with some having expressed concern over little evidence of making elections more efficient, trustworthy, voter-friendly or transparent.
A panel discussion on Prop. 131 will take place Oct. 18 in the Robinson Theatre at Colorado Mesa University (CMU). The event is hosted by Restore the Balance (RTB), the CMU Civic Forum and the Young Forwardists.
This panel discussion is free to the public. CMU Political Science Professor Tim Casey will serve as the moderator. The panel will include:
- Josh Daniels, a former county clerk and Ranked-Choice Voting consultant
- Sheila Reiner, Mesa County treasurer and former clerk and recorder
- Maeve Sunseri, a political science student at CMU
- Kent Thiry from Colorado Voters First
- Date: October 18, 2024
- Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: Robinson Theatre, Colorado Mesa University, 1100 N. 12th Street
- RSVP: https://www.coloradoforwardparty.com/erforumcmu
Kent Thiry is a key figure in the debate over Colorado’s electoral reforms. He is a major backer of Prop. 131.
Thiry is a major funding source behind the initiative. He’s funded efforts for rank-choice voting and to end party primaries in the state. He has spent at least $13 million on federal and state races across the country in recent decades. Of that, $10 million went to Colorado through August 2024.
For Prop. 131, Thiry donated about $1.5 million to the Colorado Voters First committee through September 2024. He also backed it via Unite America, a Denver nonprofit he co-chairs. Unite America, which supports RCV, has given $4.7 million to Colorado Voters First as of Sept. 25, 2024. This raised more than $9 million for the initiative.
The Mesa County Republican Party recently held an event to discuss Prop. 131. Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross discussed the procedural implications of this measure passing.
Gross said Prop. 131 adds hurdles to processes that already have tight deadlines. “Some of our counties are building hundreds of ballot styles. We have four days to turn that around.”
She also noted that adopting RCV will require an statewide overhaul of election systems. “None of our systems currently are set up for ranked-choice voting — not our statewide score database, not our election equipment.”
Gross also added, “There’s also no way to audit the election. That’s a big concern for me — how would we audit elections?”
Mesa County Treasurer Sheila Reiner, who will serve on the Oct. 18 panel, pointed out the lack of reassuring data for RCV.
“When we were looking at some of the data, there’s over a 40 percent ballot rejection rate,” she said. “I’ve also read there’s a negative impact on minority groups and low-income voters.”
Reiner also expressed concerns about the cost of RCV.
“Ranked choice voting has a price tag of over $21 million. Considering how much we’ll also need to spend on voter education, that’s a low estimate,” she said.
Phil Izon, an opponent of RCV in Alaska, has joined the debate over Colorado’s Prop. 131. He’s traveled across the country to educate voters on the pitfalls of RCV.
At a recent Twitter/X space hosted by @AssembleXCO, he warned, “once these things are on, getting them off is a hell of a lot harder.”
Izon also criticized the out-of-state funding pushing for RCV. In states like Colorado, Idaho and Arizona, “[RCV] it’s pushed by ballot initiatives funded by millions in out-of-state money.” He noted, “Right after I beat them in the Alaska Supreme Court, they raised $4.5 million in a week to stop our repeal.”
He is especially concerned about “dark money” behind these efforts.
He said organizations such as Arabella Advisors and people including George Soros have used their money to influence these initiatives. Izon said, “The darkest dark money in politics funds Ranked-Choice Voting.”
Izon believes the campaigns pushing RCV are often misleading. They sell RCV as a solution that benefits third-party candidates. But he says, “There’s no evidence that this helps third parties,” he said.
Alaska voters approved Ranked-Choice Voting in 2020. In the 2022 election, Alaska voters experienced their first run with RCV. Since then, Alaskans have raised money to repeal RCV. Their fundraising was minimal compared to funding by out-of-state groups fighting to keep RCV alive in their state.
This raises further scrutiny about the motives by those who back such initiatives.
The October 18th event at CMU will explore these issues. It will give voters a forum to hear different views on Prop. 131. Attendees will learn about the challenges of implementing RCV. They will also learn how it might change elections.
This event is a chance for voters to ask advocates on both sides about Prop. 131.
As debates on election integrity and voter access continue, this panel’s insights could be vital.
Prop. 131 and RCV could have long-term effects on the individual power of one’s vote. There’s an urgency for every voter to understand what’s at stake with this measure.