Denver City Council Rejects Ranked Choice Voting in Narrow Vote

By Esteban L. Hernandez | Axios Denver

The way Denver elects its mayors, city council members and other local officials is staying put for now.

The latest: The Denver City Council voted 7-6 Monday night to reject putting a measure on the November ballot that would changed the city’s municipal elections to a ranked choice voting method.

• The system lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference.

Why it matters: The move could have reshaped how candidates campaign — and how voters choose — for Denver’s top offices.

State of play: Supporters said the new system would have increased voter turnout, save money and boost candidate engagement.

The other side: Councilmember Kevin Flynn led opposition on the voting method.

• Flynn pointed to research suggesting ranked choice voting hasn’t saved money in other cities — and may disenfranchise voters during candidate eliminations.

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