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Home My WebLink AboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 06/21/2022 - ITEMS RELATING TO A CITY-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDME (2) Agenda Item 21 Item # 21 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY June 21, 2022 City Council STAFF Anissa Hollingshead, City Clerk Rita Knoll, Chief Deputy City Clerk Carrie Daggett, City Attorney SUBJECT Items Relating to a City-Initiated Charter Amendment Relating to the Timing of Regular City Elections. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Possible Public Hearing and Motion(s) Regarding Protest(s) of Ballot Language. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 081, 2022, Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to the City Charter Shifting the City’s Regular Municipal Election from each Odd-Year April to each Odd-Year November. The purpose of this item is to submit a City-initiated Charter Amendment to the registered electors of the City at the November 8, 2022 special election. This Charter amendment proposes to shift the date of regular City elections to be held in November of odd years instead of April. This shift would also allow for coordinating elections with Larimer County. Any protest of the proposed ballot language must be received no later than Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at noon. Protest(s) shall be heard, considered, and resolved by the Council prior to adoption of the related Ordinance. If protests are received, copies will be included in Council's "Read Before the Meeting" packet. STAFF RECOMMENDATION If Council desires to present voters with the determination of whether to shift to regular municipal elections to November of odd years, staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Fir st Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION At the March 22, 2022 Work Session, Council discussed two potential Charter Amendments relating to the conduct of municipal elections. These Charter Amendments have also been considered by Council’s Election Code Committee (ECC) at meetings in 2021 and 2022, and that committee has recommended bringing both amendments forward to the full Council for consideration. The second proposed amendment makes changes to the City Charter necessary to shift the date of regular municipal elections to November of odd years. If adop ted, this Ordinance will submit this amendment to voters at the November 8, 2022 Special Election. There are multiple sections of the Charter which would require changes as part of this amendment to implement this shift, including: Agenda Item 21 Item # 21 Page 2 Amending Article II. City Council • In Section 1: o Shifting the start date for Council terms to the second Tuesday of January or, if appointed, at the first Council meeting following appointment. • In Section 4: o Mirroring that timing shift in the language regarding how Council orga nizes itself. Amending Article VIII. Elections • In Section 1: o Adding potential applicability of coordinated municipal elections. • In Section 2: o Establishing the timing of regular city elections to be the first Tuesday in November of every odd numbered year. o Adding language to extend terms of current elected officials to accomplish the transition from April to November. • In Section 3: o Decreasing the time during which the time frame for circulation and submittal of nominating petitions can be changed from one year to 180 days prior to an election. • In Section 5: o Clarifying the Board of Elections created by the Charter has authority only in City-administered elections. • In Section 7: o Shifting the requirement to certify the election from by the 10th day after the election to a date to be specified by ordinance. o Adding provisions indicating election results will be determined and certified pursuant to state law in coordinated elections. • In Section 10: o Clarifying the provisions of this section regarding the validity of an election apply to City-administered elections only. CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS The financial impacts of adopting this ordinance include the cost of conducting a coordinated special election with Larimer County on the question. Special elections are not budgeted and typically are paid for with prior year reserves. If this measure is ultimately approved by the voters, the costs of administering regular elections would be determined by Larimer County through a cost sharing allocation set by the County wi th a basis in state statute. This cost sharing formula is applied to all jurisdictions participating in coordinated elections and is not subject to negotiation or input from municipalities. A cost estimate is prepared by the County in late August or early September after all participating jurisdictions have signed IGAs to participate in the November election. Final costs are determined and allocated after the coordinated election event is completed. PUBLIC OUTREACH Targeted outreach was not conducted for this proposed Charter amendment. However, meetings of the Elections Code Committee (Attachments 3-8) where this amendment was discussed were open to the public, and several members of the community regularly attended and provided input. In addition, the C ouncil discussed this proposed amendment at its March 22 work session. (Attachment 9) Agenda Item 21 Item # 21 Page 3 ATTACHMENTS 1. Election Dates for 30 Largest Colorado Municipalities (PDF) 2. Looking at Voter Turnout (PDF) 3. Election Code Committe Minutes, September 2021 (PDF) 4. Election Code Committe Minutes, October 2021 (PDF) 5. Election Code Committe Minutes, November 2021 (PDF) 6. Election Code Committe Minutes, February 2022 (PDF) 7. Election Code Committe Minutes, March 7, 2022 (PDF) 8. Election Code Committe Minutes, May 9, 2022 (PDF) 9. Election Code Committe Minutes, May 31, 2022 (draft) (PDF) 10. Work Session Summary, March 22, 2022 (PDF) 11. Powerpoint Presentation (PDF) Municipality Population Elec Month Odd Even Yr Elec Day Cml Category City and County of Denver 715,522 04 Odd 1T HRC City of Colorado Springs 478,961 04 Odd 1T HRC City of Aurora 386,261 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Fort Collins 169,810 04 Odd 1T1M HRC City of Lakewood 155,984 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Thornton 141,867 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Arvada 124,402 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Westminster 116,317 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Pueblo 111,876 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Greeley 108,795 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Centennial 108,418 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Boulder 108,250 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Longmont 98,885 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Loveland 76,378 11 Odd 1T HRC City and County of Broomfield 74,112 11 Odd 1T HRC Town of Castle Rock 73,158 11 Even 1T1M HRT City of Grand Junction 65,560 04 Odd 1T1M HRC City of Commerce City 62,418 11 Odd 1T HRC Town of Parker 58,512 11 Even 1T1M HRT City of Littleton 45,652 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Brighton 40,083 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Northglenn 38,131 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Englewood 33,659 11 Odd 1T HRC Town of Windsor 32,716 04 Even 1T HRT City of Wheat Ridge 32,398 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Lafayette 30,411 11 Odd 1T HRC Town of Erie 30,038 04 Even 1T ST City of Fountain 29,802 11 Odd 1T HRC City of Evans 22,165 04 Even 1T1M HRC City of Louisville 21,226 11 Odd 1T HRC Election Dates for 30 Largest Colorado Municipalities *Elec Month = Month when regular municipal election is held *Odd Even Yr = whether regular municipal elections are in even or odd years *Elec Day = day of the week the regular election occurs (1T1M = 1st Tuesday after 1st Monday, 1T = 1st Tuesday *CML Category = What type of municipality it is (home rule city, home rule town, statutory town, etc.) ATTACHMENT 1 City Clerk 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221-6295 - fax fcgov.com/cityclerk elections@fcgov.com Voter turnout The Council has historically prioritized efforts to increase voter turnout. Voter participation is a significant consideration for effective governance. Consistently across jurisdictions and types of elections, the single greatest determinant of voter turnout is ballot content. Turnout should be considered relative to both the type of election and its timing. While turnout in a given election is measured based on the total number of voted ballots, there can be a high degree of variability in how many voters choose to make selections in different contests appearing on the ballot. Typically, when multiple contests appear on a ballot, voters are less likely to vote in down ballot races. Calculating voter turnout, particularly at the municipal level, is an imprecise science. Turnout may be calculated differently by different jurisdictions, making comparisons in turn out across different elections at times akin to comparing apples and oranges. Despite the challenges involved, measuring turnout and making comparisons of like measurements over time provides important cues into trends in voter engagement and participation. In Fort Collins, voter turnout is measured by taking the total number of ballots cast in an election and dividing it by the number of active registered voters at the time in the jurisdiction. There is not reliable data available at the municipal level regarding the number of eligible voters, which is why reliance on the measure of active registered voters is required instead for a more consistent source of data. Of note with this method in the current timing of municipal elections after November coordinated elections is the number of active registered voters is at its highest level over the course of an election cycle, especially following presidential election years. Voter rolls tend to be the most up to date and complete in the immediate aftermath of these elections, versus as time goes on between election events and voters move or otherwise have changes in eligibility that lower the number of active registered voters. A higher number of active registered voters in one type of election compared to another one can result in what appears to be a lower overall turnout percentage. For this reason, looking at overall ballots cast or cast in a particular race can also add to the overall picture of participation over time, although consideration of population growth is also necessary in measures over time. In seeking to make an impact on voter turnout, it is most important to prioritize provisions that support voter participation, including maximizing accessibility and ease of participation in municipal contests. Fort Collins has a long history of utilizing the flexibility provided to it as a home rule municipality to implement provisions that strive to meet the needs of its voters. This includes actions such as paying postage on ballots returned by voters via mail, an effort not permitted under state statute in coordinated elections. Another example of a potential shift discussed in the past that the City can make on its own but that is not part of coordinated elections in Larimer County is including translations on ballots. With the support of the City Council, the City Clerk’s Office has continually strived to administer elections with a high priority and focus on serving Fort Collins voters. Turnout figures are being provided for both Larimer County as whole in all elections it conducts, as well as for the City of Fort Collins in the charts that follow. Data is not available from Larimer County that makes it possible to isolate Fort Collins voters within Larimer County turnout figures because several voting precincts include voters both within and outside of the City limits. ATTACHMENT 2 Registered Ballots Voters Cast Turnout 1977 26,608 5,193 19.52% 1979 23,584 14,404 61.08% 1981 32,732 7,709 23.55% 1983 27,492 9,744 35.44% 1985 42,696 7,332 17.17% 1987 45,299 9,113 20.12% 1989 55,577 8,291 14.92% 1991 43,805 10,678 24.38% 1993 54,062 9,684 17.91% 1995 53,456 22,489 42.07% 1997 71,199 17,831 25.04% 1999*48,799 28,536 58.48% 2001*58,926 20,745 35.21% 2003*50,738 26,010 51.26% 2005*72,477 31,498 43.46% 2007*56,898 21,164 37.20% 2009*80,250 25,169 31.36% 2011*62,260 28,093 45.12% 2013**89,356 26,044 29.15%Return postage paid by City 2015*92,259 34,081 36.94%Return postage paid by City 2017*105,868 29,908 28.25%Return postage paid by City 2019*105,407 32,799 31.12%Return postage paid by City 2021*112,686 42,283 37.52%Return postage paid by City * Reflects Active Voters Only ** Reflects Active and Certain Inactive-Failed to Vote Voters SUMMARY OF VOTER TURNOUT CITY OF FORT COLLINS Precinct Registered Voters District 1 Precinct 1 1,028 Precinct 2 1,413 Precinct 3 1,449 Precinct 4 1,715 Precinct 5 570 Precinct 6 684 Precinct 7 602 Precinct 8 1,356 Precinct 11 1,424 Precinct 12 754 Precinct 9,10,13 444 Precinct 14 1,174 Precinct 15 1,402 Precinct 16 1,438 Precinct 17 1,382 Precinct 18 824 Precinct 19 1,114 Precinct 21 896 Precinct 22 1,041 R-1 Replacement Ballots - District 1 - Total 20,710 Precinct Registered Voters District 2 Precinct 20 1,397 Precinct 23 1,429 Precinct 24 1,480 Precinct 25 1,234 Precinct 26 938 Precinct 27 1,101 Precinct 28 978 Statement of Votes Cast General Election City of Fort Collins April 6, 2021 33.51%369 221 22.60% 279 31.14% 394 37.85% 601 43.02% 388 27.15% 169 24.71% 72 11.96% 56 7,239 34.95% 173 38.96% 408 34.75% 418 29.81% 545 37.90% 472 34.15% 370 44.90% 582 52.24% 40.76% 517 36.59% 501 34.58% 472 27.52% 165 28.95% 450 33.19% 637 44.73% 140 18.57% Voters Cast % Turnout 651 43.99% 466 37.76% 264 28.14% Voters Cast % Turnout 419 Page 1 of 4 Precinct 29 1,586 Precinct 30 915 Precinct 31 1,301 Precinct 32 1,552 Precinct 34 1,114 Precinct 35 1,465 Precinct 36 789 Precinct 37 1,117 Precinct 39 1,179 Precinct 43 1,178 R-2 Replacement Ballots District 2 - Total 20,753 Precinct Registered Voters District 3 Precinct 33,38 1,327 Precinct 40,42 1,616 Precinct 41 1,349 Precinct 44 1,683 Precinct 45 1,368 Precinct 46 947 Precinct 47 1,047 Precinct 48 1,416 Precinct 49 1,351 Precinct 50 1,059 Precinct 51 1,271 Precinct 52,53,58,59 935 Precinct 54 1,255 Precinct 55 1,053 Precinct 56 1,389 Precinct 57 1,019 R-3 Replacement Ballots District 3 - Total 20,085 Precinct Registered Voters District 4 Precinct 60 1,293 Precinct 61 1,409 Precinct 62 946 Precinct 63 1,496 Precinct 64 1,673 Precinct 65,66,69,71 1,601 Precinct 67 1,013 Precinct 68 911 Precinct 70 1,449 Precinct 72 1,715 540 41.76% 555 39.39% 342 33.76% 330 36.22% 948 65.42% 620 36.15% Voters Cast % Turnout 307 32.45% 724 48.40% 873 52.18% 807 50.41% 346 21.41% 635 47.07% 564 33.51% 557 40.72% 328 34.64% 338 32.28% 582 41.10% 547 40.49% 509 48.06% 454 35.72% 478 51.12% 341 27.17% 345 32.76% 545 39.24% 351 34.45% 38 7,296 36.33% 676 42.62% 280 30.60% 575 44.20% 679 43.75% 356 31.96% 564 38.50% 407 51.58% 253 22.65% 407 34.52% 7,745 37.32% 338 25.47% 547 46.43% 41 Voters Cast % Turnout Page 2 of 4 Precinct 73 1,453 Precinct 74 1,534 Precinct 75 1,411 Precinct 78 1,436 R-4 Replacement Ballots District 4 - Total 19,340 Precinct Registered Voters District 5 Precinct 76 1,276 Precinct 77 1,116 Precinct 79 1,500 Precinct 80 974 Precinct 81 878 Precinct 82 1,021 Precinct 83 1,186 Precinct 84 1,186 Precinct 85 1,375 Precinct 86 916 Precinct 88 750 Precinct 89 252 Precinct 90 757 Precinct 98 966 Precinct 99 433 R-5 Replacement Ballots District 5 - Total 14,586 Precinct Registered Voters District 6 Precinct 87 1,446 Precinct 91 961 Precinct 92 868 Precinct 93 1,556 Precinct 94 915 Precinct 95 989 Precinct 96 710 Precinct 97 797 Precinct 100 792 Precinct 101 1,355 Precinct 102 1,673 Precinct 103 1,697 Precinct 104,105 741 Precinct 106 990 Precinct 107,108,109 720 Precinct 110 1,002 R-6 Replacement Ballots 251 25.05% 51 42 5,319 36.47% 401 27.73% 194 20.19% 254 29.26% Voters Cast % Turnout 587 37.72% 339 34.24% 217 30.14% 246 26.89% 104 10.52% 123 17.32% 157 19.70% 315 39.77% 651 48.04% 668 39.93% 835 49.20% 197 26.59% 8,047 41.61% 535 41.93% 371 33.24% 692 46.13% 379 38.91% 305 34.74% 525 51.42% 716 60.37% 345 29.09% 647 47.05% 224 24.45% 235 31.33% 18 7.14% 64 8.45% 163 16.87% 58 13.39% 569 39.16% 553 36.05% 355 25.16% 475 33.08% 49 Voters Cast % Turnout Page 3 of 4 District 6 - Total 17,212 Cumulative Cumulative - Total 112,686 5,590 32.48% 42283 37.52% Page 4 of 4 Larimer County Voter Turnout Since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook Coordinated*11/2/2021 277,531 259,583 6 14 1,574 111,200 112,774 n/a 2 112,776 43.45%40.64% General*11/3/2020 279,683 252,524 18 17 13,507 213,179 226,686 n/a 10 226,696 89.77%81.05% Primary*6/30/2020 266,758 235,291 3 3 616 109,075 109,691 n/a 0 109,691 46.62%41.12% Presidential Primary* 3/3/2020 261,147 231,263 5 2 4,505 121,500 126,005 n/a 4 126,009 54.49%48.25% Coordinated*11/5/2019 261,666 239,133 3 11 1,622 111,489 113,111 n/a 0 113,111 47.30%43.23% General*11/6/2018 264,265 230,903 15 15 11,915 171,186 183,101 n/a 12 183,113 79.30%69.29% Primary*6/26/2018 250,206 218,089 3 3 957 78,135 79,092 n/a 0 79,092 36.27%31.61% Coordinated*11/7/2017 251,270 231,748 3 13 969 85,408 86,377 n/a 0 86,377 37.27%34.38% General*11/8/2016 256,411 226,069 14 15 17,400 183,582 200,982 n/a 32 201,014 88.92%78.40% Primary*6/28/2016 240,862 205,531 3 3 235 39,200 39,435 n/a 0 39,435 19.20%16.37% Coordinated*11/3/2015 233,947 205,344 3 16 792 80,373 81,165 n/a 0 81,165 39.52%34.69% General*11/4/2014 234,992 203,758 14 11 9,975 138,120 148,095 n/a 43 148,138 72.70%63.04% Primary*6/24/2014 228,324 197,245 3 3 424 41,391 41,815 n/a 1 41,816 21.20%18.31% Coordinated*11/5/2013 227,901 207,307 3 18 2,250 98,324 100,574 n/a 5 100,579 48.52%44.13% General 11/6/2012 241,124 195,428 24 11 21,217 135,011 156,228 22,886 2,752 181,866 93.06%75.42% Primary*6/26/2012 226,577 166,532 n/a 3 n/a 30,934 30,934 n/a 0 30,934 18.58%13.65% Coordinated*11/1/2011 220,400 156,189 n/a 12 n/a 80,503 80,503 n/a 2 80,505 51.54%36.53% General 11/2/2010 219,128 167,640 24 15 10,855 88,031 98,886 26,185 2,554 127,625 76.13%58.24% Primary*8/10/2010 215,192 157,894 n/a 3 n/a 50,001 50,001 n/a n/a 50,001 31.67%23.24% Coordinated*11/2/2009 213,231 157,648 n/a 12 n/a 38,377 38,377 n/a n/a 38,377 24.34%18.00% General 11/4/2008 210,899 181,832 33 9 32,326 106,652 138,978 25,155 3,161 167,294 92.00%79.32% Primary 8/12/2008 194,242 153,007 3 2 425 23,795 24,220 587 52 24,859 16.24%12.80% Coordinated*11/6/2007 187,745 136,854 n/a 14 n/a 41,133 41,133 n/a 2 41,133 30.06%21.91% General 11/7/2006 195,636 154,540 30 17 25,362 46,010 71,372 42,203 1,262 114,837 74.31%58.70% Primary 8/8/2006 189,126 145,961 24 2 1,567 18,609 20,176 5,997 100 26,273 18.00%13.89% Coordinated 11/1/2005 186,503 142,953 25 16 12,752 35,301 48,053 30,974 502 79,529 55.63%42.64% Page 1 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook General 11/2/2004 199,129 155,441 31 15 45,718 47,115 92,833 52,481 1,798 147,112 94.64%73.88% Coordinated Primary 8/10/2004 183,900 138,577 21 3 4,643 20,755 25,398 15,942 108 41,448 29.91%22.54% Coordinated 11/4/2003 176,574 125,954 26 14 9,994 23,490 33,484 19,837 155 53,476 42.46%30.29% General 11/5/2002 188,168 142,561 n/a 7 8,325 37,235 45,560 48,919 797 95,276 66.83%50.63% Primary 8/13/2002 136,287 n/a n/a 2 1,142 15,673 16,815 7,208 110 24,133 17.71% Coordinated 11/6/2001 178,216 n/a n/a 15 60,125 60,125 n/a n/a 60,125 33.74% General 11/7/2000 191,124 n/a n/a 17 13,769 47,633 61,402 57,582 n/a 119,201 62.37% Primary 8/8/2000 182,803 n/a n/a 2 1,459 976 2,435 6,584 n/a 9,019 4.93% Mail Ballot 6/6/2000 131,525 n/a n/a 1 n/a 39,288 39,288 n/a n/a 39,288 29.87% Pres. Primary 3/10/2000 179,184 n/a n/a 2 3,488 945 4,433 8,792 n/a 13,231 7.38% Coordinated 11/2/1999 176,043 n/a n/a 18 6,312 7,498 13,810 34,511 n/a 48,321 27.45% General 11/3/1998 166,700 n/a n/a 13 10,969 19,401 30,370 56,484 n/a 86,875 52.11% Primary 8/11/1998 162,172 n/a n/a 2 1,908 657 2,565 19,340 n/a 22,184 13.68% Coordinated 11/4/1997 152,945 n/a n/a 16 5,984 3,376 9,360 30,653 n/a 40,013 26.16% General 11/5/1996 143,047 n/a n/a 9 11,103 17,534 28,637 71,278 n/a 99,992 69.90% Primary 8/13/1996 133,557 n/a n/a 2 1,447 1,188 2,635 17,317 n/a 19,952 14.94% Pres. Primary 3/5/1996 127,856 n/a n/a 2 1,565 794 2,359 16,762 n/a 19,016 14.87% Coordinated 11/7/1995 123,968 n/a n/a 4 3,734 4,618 8,352 31,412 n/a 39,430 31.81% General 11/8/1994 129,754 n/a n/a 10 5,990 16,692 22,682 52,981 n/a 74,592 57.49% Primary 8/9/1994 124,027 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 3,303 15,419 n/a 18,722 15.10% Coordinated 11/2/1993 117,463 n/a n/a 9 n/a n/a 2,552 29,910 n/a 32,462 27.64% General 11/3/1992 122,446 n/a n/a 4 n/a n/a 20,105 80,650 n/a 100,755 82.29% Primary 8/11/1992 109,321 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 1,005 23,410 n/a 24,415 22.33% Page 2 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook Pres. Primary 3/3/1992 101,309 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 539 24,931 n/a 25,459 25.13% General 11/6/1990 114,555 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 3,099 59,392 n/a 62,491 54.55% Primary 8/14/1990 110,150 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 582 19,683 n/a 20,265 18.40% General 11/8/1988 116,207 n/a n/a 6 n/a n/a 6,318 78,371 n/a 84,689 72.88% Primary 8/9/1988 107,669 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 299 7,642 n/a 7,941 7.38% General 11/4/1986 104,283 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,581 57,732 n/a 60,313 57.84% Primary 8/12/1986 95,605 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 477 14,720 n/a 14,197 14.85% General 11/6/1984 90,050 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,284 71,272 n/a 76,556 85.01% Primary 8/14/1984 80,056 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 410 11,814 n/a 12,224 15.27% General 11/2/1982 79,321 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,929 52,067 n/a 53,996 68.07% Primary 8/11/1982 75,249 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 344 13,935 n/a 14,279 18.98% General 11/11/1980 76,648 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,845 61,519 n/a 65,364 85.28% Primary 8/12/1980 65,893 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 438 18,519 n/a 18,957 28.77% *Mail ballot election **Vote Centers were first used in 2003 in place of traditional precinct-based polling places ***Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) were added to Colorado's Uniform Election Code for usage first in 2013 ****Prior to 2013, Early Voting did not include voting on Election Day but voting at VSPCs now includes both Early and Election Day Voting Provisional ballots were first used in 2002 Entities refers to the number of jurisdictions or organizations participating in the election or primary Page 3 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Percentages since 2003 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook General 11/2/2004 199,129 155,441 31 15 45,718 47,115 92,833 52,481 1,798 147,112 94.64%73.88% General 11/6/2012 241,124 195,428 24 11 21,217 135,011 156,228 22,886 2,752 181,866 93.06%75.42% General 11/4/2008 210,899 181,832 33 9 32,326 106,652 138,978 25,155 3,161 167,294 92.00%79.32% General*11/3/2020 279,683 252,524 18 17 13,507 213,179 226,686 n/a 10 226,696 89.77%81.05% General*11/8/2016 256,411 226,069 14 15 17,400 183,582 200,982 n/a 32 201,014 88.92%78.40% General*11/6/2018 264,265 230,903 15 15 11,915 171,186 183,101 n/a 12 183,113 79.30%69.29% General 11/2/2010 219,128 167,640 24 15 10,855 88,031 98,886 26,185 2,554 127,625 76.13%58.24% General 11/7/2006 195,636 154,540 30 17 25,362 46,010 71,372 42,203 1,262 114,837 74.31%58.70% General*11/4/2014 234,992 203,758 14 11 9,975 138,120 148,095 n/a 43 148,138 72.70%63.04% General 11/5/2002 188,168 142,561 n/a 7 8,325 37,235 45,560 48,919 797 95,276 66.83%50.63% Coordinated 11/1/2005 186,503 142,953 25 16 12,752 35,301 48,053 30,974 502 79,529 55.63%42.64% Presidential Primary* 3/3/2020 261,147 231,263 5 2 4,505 121,500 126,005 n/a 4 126,009 54.49%48.25% Coordinated*11/1/2011 220,400 156,189 n/a 12 n/a 80,503 80,503 n/a 2 80,505 51.54%36.53% Coordinated*11/5/2013 227,901 207,307 3 18 2,250 98,324 100,574 n/a 5 100,579 48.52%44.13% Coordinated*11/5/2019 261,666 239,133 3 11 1,622 111,489 113,111 n/a 0 113,111 47.30%43.23% Primary*6/30/2020 266,758 235,291 3 3 616 109,075 109,691 n/a 0 109,691 46.62%41.12% Coordinated*11/2/2021 277,531 259,583 6 14 1,574 111,200 112,774 n/a 2 112,776 43.45%40.64% Coordinated 11/4/2003 176,574 125,954 26 14 9,994 23,490 33,484 19,837 155 53,476 42.46%30.29% Coordinated*11/3/2015 233,947 205,344 3 16 792 80,373 81,165 n/a 0 81,165 39.52%34.69% Coordinated*11/7/2017 251,270 231,748 3 13 969 85,408 86,377 n/a 0 86,377 37.27%34.38% Primary*6/26/2018 250,206 218,089 3 3 957 78,135 79,092 n/a 0 79,092 36.27%31.61% Primary*8/10/2010 215,192 157,894 n/a 3 n/a 50,001 50,001 n/a n/a 50,001 31.67%23.24% Coordinated*11/6/2007 187,745 136,854 n/a 14 n/a 41,133 41,133 n/a 2 41,133 30.06%21.91% Coordinated Primary 8/10/2004 183,900 138,577 21 3 4,643 20,755 25,398 15,942 108 41,448 29.91%22.54% Coordinated*11/2/2009 213,231 157,648 n/a 12 n/a 38,377 38,377 n/a n/a 38,377 24.34%18.00% Page 1 of 2 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Percentages since 2003 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook Primary*6/24/2014 228,324 197,245 3 3 424 41,391 41,815 n/a 1 41,816 21.20%18.31% Primary*6/28/2016 240,862 205,531 3 3 235 39,200 39,435 n/a 0 39,435 19.20%16.37% Primary*6/26/2012 226,577 166,532 n/a 3 n/a 30,934 30,934 n/a 0 30,934 18.58%13.65% Primary 8/8/2006 189,126 145,961 24 2 1,567 18,609 20,176 5,997 100 26,273 18.00%13.89% Primary 8/12/2008 194,242 153,007 3 2 425 23,795 24,220 587 52 24,859 16.24%12.80% *Mail ballot election **Vote Centers were first used in 2003 in place of traditional precinct-based polling places ***Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) were added to Colorado's Uniform Election Code for usage first in 2013 ****Prior to 2013, Early Voting did not include voting on Election Day but voting at VSPCs now includes both Early and Election Day Voting Provisional ballots were first used in 2002 Entities refers to the number of jurisdictions or organizations participating in the election or primary Page 2 of 2 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Number of Voters since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook General*11/3/2020 279,683 252,524 18 17 13,507 213,179 226,686 n/a 10 226,696 89.77%81.05% General*11/8/2016 256,411 226,069 14 15 17,400 183,582 200,982 n/a 32 201,014 88.92%78.40% General*11/6/2018 264,265 230,903 15 15 11,915 171,186 183,101 n/a 12 183,113 79.30%69.29% General 11/6/2012 241,124 195,428 24 11 21,217 135,011 156,228 22,886 2,752 181,866 93.06%75.42% General 11/4/2008 210,899 181,832 33 9 32,326 106,652 138,978 25,155 3,161 167,294 92.00%79.32% General*11/4/2014 234,992 203,758 14 11 9,975 138,120 148,095 n/a 43 148,138 72.70%63.04% General 11/2/2004 199,129 155,441 31 15 45,718 47,115 92,833 52,481 1,798 147,112 94.64%73.88% General 11/2/2010 219,128 167,640 24 15 10,855 88,031 98,886 26,185 2,554 127,625 76.13%58.24% Presidential Primary* 3/3/2020 261,147 231,263 5 2 4,505 121,500 126,005 n/a 4 126,009 54.49%48.25% General 11/7/2000 191,124 n/a n/a 17 13,769 47,633 61,402 57,582 n/a 119,201 62.37% General 11/7/2006 195,636 154,540 30 17 25,362 46,010 71,372 42,203 1,262 114,837 74.31%58.70% Coordinated*11/5/2019 261,666 239,133 3 11 1,622 111,489 113,111 n/a 0 113,111 47.30%43.23% Coordinated*11/2/2021 277,531 259,583 6 14 1,574 111,200 112,774 n/a 2 112,776 43.45%40.64% Primary*6/30/2020 266,758 235,291 3 3 616 109,075 109,691 n/a 0 109,691 46.62%41.12% General 11/3/1992 122,446 n/a n/a 4 n/a n/a 20,105 80,650 n/a 100,755 82.29% Coordinated*11/5/2013 227,901 207,307 3 18 2,250 98,324 100,574 n/a 5 100,579 48.52%44.13% General 11/5/1996 143,047 n/a n/a 9 11,103 17,534 28,637 71,278 n/a 99,992 69.90% General 11/5/2002 188,168 142,561 n/a 7 8,325 37,235 45,560 48,919 797 95,276 66.83%50.63% General 11/3/1998 166,700 n/a n/a 13 10,969 19,401 30,370 56,484 n/a 86,875 52.11% Coordinated*11/7/2017 251,270 231,748 3 13 969 85,408 86,377 n/a 0 86,377 37.27%34.38% General 11/8/1988 116,207 n/a n/a 6 n/a n/a 6,318 78,371 n/a 84,689 72.88% Coordinated*11/3/2015 233,947 205,344 3 16 792 80,373 81,165 n/a 0 81,165 39.52%34.69% Coordinated*11/1/2011 220,400 156,189 n/a 12 n/a 80,503 80,503 n/a 2 80,505 51.54%36.53% Coordinated 11/1/2005 186,503 142,953 25 16 12,752 35,301 48,053 30,974 502 79,529 55.63%42.64% Primary*6/26/2018 250,206 218,089 3 3 957 78,135 79,092 n/a 0 79,092 36.27%31.61% General 11/6/1984 90,050 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,284 71,272 n/a 76,556 85.01% Page 1 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Number of Voters since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook General 11/8/1994 129,754 n/a n/a 10 5,990 16,692 22,682 52,981 n/a 74,592 57.49% General 11/11/1980 76,648 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,845 61,519 n/a 65,364 85.28% General 11/6/1990 114,555 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 3,099 59,392 n/a 62,491 54.55% General 11/4/1986 104,283 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,581 57,732 n/a 60,313 57.84% Coordinated 11/6/2001 178,216 n/a n/a 15 60,125 60,125 n/a n/a 60,125 33.74% General 11/2/1982 79,321 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,929 52,067 n/a 53,996 68.07% Coordinated 11/4/2003 176,574 125,954 26 14 9,994 23,490 33,484 19,837 155 53,476 42.46%30.29% Primary*8/10/2010 215,192 157,894 n/a 3 n/a 50,001 50,001 n/a n/a 50,001 31.67%23.24% Coordinated 11/2/1999 176,043 n/a n/a 18 6,312 7,498 13,810 34,511 n/a 48,321 27.45% Primary*6/24/2014 228,324 197,245 3 3 424 41,391 41,815 n/a 1 41,816 21.20%18.31% Coordinated Primary 8/10/2004 183,900 138,577 21 3 4,643 20,755 25,398 15,942 108 41,448 29.91%22.54% Coordinated*11/6/2007 187,745 136,854 n/a 14 n/a 41,133 41,133 n/a 2 41,133 30.06%21.91% Coordinated 11/4/1997 152,945 n/a n/a 16 5,984 3,376 9,360 30,653 n/a 40,013 26.16% Primary*6/28/2016 240,862 205,531 3 3 235 39,200 39,435 n/a 0 39,435 19.20%16.37% Coordinated 11/7/1995 123,968 n/a n/a 4 3,734 4,618 8,352 31,412 n/a 39,430 31.81% Mail Ballot 6/6/2000 131,525 n/a n/a 1 n/a 39,288 39,288 n/a n/a 39,288 29.87% Coordinated*11/2/2009 213,231 157,648 n/a 12 n/a 38,377 38,377 n/a n/a 38,377 24.34%18.00% Coordinated 11/2/1993 117,463 n/a n/a 9 n/a n/a 2,552 29,910 n/a 32,462 27.64% Primary*6/26/2012 226,577 166,532 n/a 3 n/a 30,934 30,934 n/a 0 30,934 18.58%13.65% Primary 8/8/2006 189,126 145,961 24 2 1,567 18,609 20,176 5,997 100 26,273 18.00%13.89% Pres. Primary 3/3/1992 101,309 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 539 24,931 n/a 25,459 25.13% Primary 8/12/2008 194,242 153,007 3 2 425 23,795 24,220 587 52 24,859 16.24%12.80% Primary 8/11/1992 109,321 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 1,005 23,410 n/a 24,415 22.33% Primary 8/13/2002 136,287 n/a n/a 2 1,142 15,673 16,815 7,208 110 24,133 17.71% Primary 8/11/1998 162,172 n/a n/a 2 1,908 657 2,565 19,340 n/a 22,184 13.68% Page 2 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Number of Voters since 1980 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook Primary 8/14/1990 110,150 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 582 19,683 n/a 20,265 18.40% Primary 8/13/1996 133,557 n/a n/a 2 1,447 1,188 2,635 17,317 n/a 19,952 14.94% Pres. Primary 3/5/1996 127,856 n/a n/a 2 1,565 794 2,359 16,762 n/a 19,016 14.87% Primary 8/12/1980 65,893 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 438 18,519 n/a 18,957 28.77% Primary 8/9/1994 124,027 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 3,303 15,419 n/a 18,722 15.10% Primary 8/11/1982 75,249 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 344 13,935 n/a 14,279 18.98% Primary 8/12/1986 95,605 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 477 14,720 n/a 14,197 14.85% Pres. Primary 3/10/2000 179,184 n/a n/a 2 3,488 945 4,433 8,792 n/a 13,231 7.38% Primary 8/14/1984 80,056 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 410 11,814 n/a 12,224 15.27% Primary 8/8/2000 182,803 n/a n/a 2 1,459 976 2,435 6,584 n/a 9,019 4.93% Primary 8/9/1988 107,669 n/a n/a 2 n/a n/a 299 7,642 n/a 7,941 7.38% *Mail ballot election **Vote Centers were first used in 2003 in place of traditional precinct-based polling places ***Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) were added to Colorado's Uniform Election Code for usage first in 2013 ****Prior to 2013, Early Voting did not include voting on Election Day but voting at VSPCs now includes both Early and Election Day Voting Provisional ballots were first used in 2002 Entities refers to the number of jurisdictions or organizations participating in the election or primary Page 3 of 3 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Number of Active Registered Voters since 2003 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook Coordinated*11/2/2021 277,531 259,583 6 14 1,574 111,200 112,774 n/a 2 112,776 43.45%40.64% General*11/3/2020 279,683 252,524 18 17 13,507 213,179 226,686 n/a 10 226,696 89.77%81.05% Coordinated*11/5/2019 261,666 239,133 3 11 1,622 111,489 113,111 n/a 0 113,111 47.30%43.23% Primary*6/30/2020 266,758 235,291 3 3 616 109,075 109,691 n/a 0 109,691 46.62%41.12% Coordinated*11/7/2017 251,270 231,748 3 13 969 85,408 86,377 n/a 0 86,377 37.27%34.38% Presidential Primary* 3/3/2020 261,147 231,263 5 2 4,505 121,500 126,005 n/a 4 126,009 54.49%48.25% General*11/6/2018 264,265 230,903 15 15 11,915 171,186 183,101 n/a 12 183,113 79.30%69.29% General*11/8/2016 256,411 226,069 14 15 17,400 183,582 200,982 n/a 32 201,014 88.92%78.40% Primary*6/26/2018 250,206 218,089 3 3 957 78,135 79,092 n/a 0 79,092 36.27%31.61% Coordinated*11/5/2013 227,901 207,307 3 18 2,250 98,324 100,574 n/a 5 100,579 48.52%44.13% Primary*6/28/2016 240,862 205,531 3 3 235 39,200 39,435 n/a 0 39,435 19.20%16.37% Coordinated*11/3/2015 233,947 205,344 3 16 792 80,373 81,165 n/a 0 81,165 39.52%34.69% General*11/4/2014 234,992 203,758 14 11 9,975 138,120 148,095 n/a 43 148,138 72.70%63.04% Primary*6/24/2014 228,324 197,245 3 3 424 41,391 41,815 n/a 1 41,816 21.20%18.31% General 11/6/2012 241,124 195,428 24 11 21,217 135,011 156,228 22,886 2,752 181,866 93.06%75.42% General 11/4/2008 210,899 181,832 33 9 32,326 106,652 138,978 25,155 3,161 167,294 92.00%79.32% General 11/2/2010 219,128 167,640 24 15 10,855 88,031 98,886 26,185 2,554 127,625 76.13%58.24% Primary*6/26/2012 226,577 166,532 n/a 3 n/a 30,934 30,934 n/a 0 30,934 18.58%13.65% Primary*8/10/2010 215,192 157,894 n/a 3 n/a 50,001 50,001 n/a n/a 50,001 31.67%23.24% Coordinated*11/2/2009 213,231 157,648 n/a 12 n/a 38,377 38,377 n/a n/a 38,377 24.34%18.00% Coordinated*11/1/2011 220,400 156,189 n/a 12 n/a 80,503 80,503 n/a 2 80,505 51.54%36.53% General 11/2/2004 199,129 155,441 31 15 45,718 47,115 92,833 52,481 1,798 147,112 94.64%73.88% General 11/7/2006 195,636 154,540 30 17 25,362 46,010 71,372 42,203 1,262 114,837 74.31%58.70% Primary 8/12/2008 194,242 153,007 3 2 425 23,795 24,220 587 52 24,859 16.24%12.80% Primary 8/8/2006 189,126 145,961 24 2 1,567 18,609 20,176 5,997 100 26,273 18.00%13.89% Coordinated 11/1/2005 186,503 142,953 25 16 12,752 35,301 48,053 30,974 502 79,529 55.63%42.64% Page 1 of 2 Larimer County Voter Turnout Highest Number of Active Registered Voters since 2003 ELECTION YEAR Total Registered - Pollbook Active Reg Voters - Before Election Number of VOTE CENTERS** /VSPC's*** ENTIT IES Early Voting ****In Person Ballots Cast TOTAL Mail SUBTOTA L VOTED VC** / PRECIN CTS PROVI- SIONAL TOTAL VOTED % Total Voted / Active Reg % Total voted / Total Pollbook General 11/5/2002 188,168 142,561 n/a 7 8,325 37,235 45,560 48,919 797 95,276 66.83%50.63% Coordinated Primary 8/10/2004 183,900 138,577 21 3 4,643 20,755 25,398 15,942 108 41,448 29.91%22.54% Coordinated*11/6/2007 187,745 136,854 n/a 14 n/a 41,133 41,133 n/a 2 41,133 30.06%21.91% Coordinated 11/4/2003 176,574 125,954 26 14 9,994 23,490 33,484 19,837 155 53,476 42.46%30.29% *Mail ballot election **Vote Centers were first used in 2003 in place of traditional precinct-based polling places ***Voter Service & Polling Centers (VSPCs) were added to Colorado's Uniform Election Code for usage first in 2013 ****Prior to 2013, Early Voting did not include voting on Election Day but voting at VSPCs now includes both Early and Election Day Voting Provisional ballots were first used in 2002 Entities refers to the number of jurisdictions or organizations participating in the election or primary Page 2 of 2 City of Fort Collins Page 1 September 20, 2021 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Arndt, Canonico, Ohlson STAFF PRESENT: Carrie Daggett, Tammi Pusheck, Rita Knoll CITIZENS PRESENT: None 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.PUBLIC COMMENT Robbie Moreland commented on two outstanding election complaints and suggested an independent election oversight committee should be formed. She suggested 18 months is a sufficient amount of time to implement ranked choice voting for the April 2023 election if it is app roved at the November of 2022 election. Jody Deschanes supported Ms. Moreland’s comments and addressed inaccurate comments about ranked choice voting. 3.CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 27, 2021 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Vice Chair Arndt made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Ohlson to approve the August 27, 2021 meeting minutes. The motion was adopted unanimously. 4.DISCUSSION ITEMS a.Campaign Finance Provisions Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll asked about the scope of the review of campaign finance provisions and whether it is separate or in conjunction with considering reverting to the state law. Vice Chair Arndt asked about the main differences between the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act and the City Code. Knoll replied they were almost identical when Fort Collins wrote its Code with the exception of not addressing state candidates. She stated local provisions were written so they could all be contained in one document. Vice Chair Arndt stated candidates need more clear guidance on PACs as one example. City Attorney Daggett noted there are state, but not local, guidelines for independent expenditure committees. Councilmember Ohlson stated he would like to keep big money out of City elections, and if that is not possible, there should be as much disclosure as possible regarding who is contributing. b.Redistricting Chair Canonico noted redistricting must be complete by October 6, 2022 for the April 2023 election. Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted this process has already begun and funds have been budgeted for a consultant. Councilmember Ohlson asked about the role of the consultant stating he does not recall a consultant being used for redistricting in the past. He stated the earlier in the process the redistricting can occur, the better, as candidates are contemplating running for office earlier. Vice Chair Arndt concurred an earlier date for having district boundaries set would be beneficial. ATTACHMENT 3 City of Fort Collins Page 2 City Attorney Daggett stated this is the first time a consultant has been used as the last redistricting process took much longer than anticipated. She stated the consultant’s role will be to help prepare and present options for the best way to determine the cadence for redistricting. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated the consultant will be familiar with many different models used in the country. Vice Chair Arndt asked who sets precinct boundaries. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll replied the County sets those boundaries and the Code requires City precincts to match County precinct boundaries in order to obtain accurate voter data. Councilmember Ohlson commented on ensuring an incumbent is not redistricted out if his or her own seat. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated it may be difficult to have redistricting occur much earlier if census data is used. She also noted there will be a public outreach component to the consultant’s work. Vice Chair Arndt asked about the City’s residency requirements for candidates. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll replied candidates must have been a registered voter for one year and live in the district at the point of taking office. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted the consultant is to assist with different methodologies; however, if there is no desire to change that, a consultant may not be needed. City Attorney Daggett clarified a candidate must be residing w ithin the district at the time of nomination, not the time of election. Vice Chair Arndt noted state and federal congressional maps are based on population and that seems to be the metric that makes the most sense. Chair Canonico asked about the projected cost of the consultant. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll replied it was between $80,000 and $90,000. She stated staff can put together options based on population and the consultant may not be necessary if the methodology is not changing. Councilmember Ohlson questioned the need for the consultant, particularly at that cost. City Attorney Daggett noted the scope of work for a consultant has yet to be written. She stated the redistricting triggers per the Code will be outlined and may need to be adju sted. c. November Elections Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll discussed time constraints and the timeline around moving elections to November. She noted there are currently no municipal elections in Larimer County in even years. She noted the topic is slated for a more detailed discussion at the next meeting. Councilmember Ohlson stated there is no reason to change to a coordinated election in odd years and expressed support for coordinated even year elections beginning in 2024. Chair Canonico asked if there would be anything that would prevent the extension of Council terms should an April 2023 election not occur. City Attorney Daggett replied that would need to be a topic of discussion for the Committee. She stated having the April 2023 election to fill terms could be a possibility and stated the various aspects of the timing could be built into the ballot issue approving any change to a coordinated election. Vice Chair Arndt and Councilmember Ohlson commented on the benefits of having more voters per election which may result from changing to coordinated elections. City of Fort Collins Page 3 d. Ranked Choice Voting Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated the earliest ballot on which this item could appear would be November 2022 and the earliest it could be implemented, should voters also approve a switch to November elections, would be November of 2023. She noted the use of ranked choice voting could only occur if the County uses a system certified by the Secretary of State for use in a ranked choice voting election. She noted the November 2022 election would not be certified until about three months after preparations for the April 2023 election would occur. Councilmember Ohlson stated he would need to see some proof that implementation could not occur by the April 2023 election and stated the consultant funding could be used to hire additional staff if necessary. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted candidate guidelines include elec tion information and there would be differences based on which type of election is run, including different certification dates and potentially different vendors. Committee members and staff discussed certification dates and swearing in dates. City Att orney Daggett noted a specific swearing in date could be set, but it would need to be far enough out to allow for recounts. Chair Arndt opposed the last timeline for swearing in and the immediately following retreat to determine Council priorities. Councilmember Ohlson stated the Committee needs to know what resources are needed in order to implement ranked choice voting for the April 2023 election, if approved in November of 2022. e. Public Financing of Elections Interim City Clerk Pusheck stated interns are working on collecting data from peer cities and will be returning with information during the first quarter of 2022. f. Election Oversight Board Interim City Clerk Pusheck stated interns are working on collecting data from peer cities and will be returning with information during the first quarter of 2022. g. Partisan/Non-partisan Elections City Attorney Daggett asked if the Committee views this as an immediate issue or more of a long - term topic. Councilmember Ohlson stated he has preferred non-partisan elections; however, he believes those have not occurred in practice in years, therefore, he would rather see partisan elections. He suggested the topic could still be placed on the same ballot with other questions. City Attorney Daggett noted the main change with a partisan election involves the establishment of political parties to determine who candidates on the ballot would be. Chair Canonico supported prioritizing ranked choice voting and November elections over changing to partisan elections. Councilmember Ohlson agreed with prioritizing those; however, he suggested they could potentially all move forward simultaneously. City Attorney Daggett requested a prioritization of the seven items. Councilmember Ohlson noted redistricting has to be done. Vice Chair Arndt stated she would like to have that done by April. Councilmember Ohlson suggested the next priority should be campaign financing improvements, followed by November elections and ranked choice voting. City Attorney Daggett noted the budgeting process will be starting again in March and April and having some direction on public election financing could be beneficial at that time. City of Fort Collins Page 4 Councilmember Ohlson suggested public financing and the election oversight committee would be the next priorities. 5. OTHER BUSINESS 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:26 PM. City of Fort Collins Page 1 October 18, 2021 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Arndt, Canonico, Ohlson STAFF PRESENT: Carrie Daggett, Tammi Pusheck, Ryan Malarkey, Kyle Stannert CITIZENS PRESENT: Robbie Moreland, Owen Perkins (remote) 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.PUBLIC COMMENT Robbie Moreland thanked staff for brining in the presenter regarding publicly funded elections. She stated the committee should consider which method would consider more candidates to run for office, which method would engage more residents to vote in municipal elections, and which method is easier to administer. She discussed a voucher program and stated it is a viable method to add to the analysis. She questioned how a group in the April election could raise $75,000 for a candidate and still not have to disclose its donors, in violation of City Code and the state election code. She also stated s he would like to see ranked choice voting on next month’s agenda. Owen Perkins, Clean Slate Now Action, supported Fort Collins looking at publicly funded elections. He stated public financing would give open access to the ballot to a more diverse field, would eliminate wealth as a factor in competing for office, would eliminate the potential for corruption or the appearance of corruption, encourages residents to be engaged in the process, and empowers residents to reclaim the concept of citizen-owned elections. Vice Chair Arndt stated she has always supported publicly funded elections and limits of $100 for Mayor and $75 for Councilmembers. She questioned whether Citizens United incentivizes dark money. Mr. Perkins replied publicly financed elections cannot overturn Citizens United, which is a federal issue. He stated work can be done at the local level to incentivize the small-dollar donor and associated campaigns. Vice Chair Arndt asked if there is any evidence that pushing the maximum donation amount down so low it has a negative effect. Mr. Perkins replied dark money tends to follow very competitive races rather than correlating to donation limits. He also noted every campaign finance reform that has taken place in recent years in Colorado has eliminated corporate contributions. 3.PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS – Katie Setty Katie Setty, Colorado State University Political Science Department Master’s Student, provided some municipal-level examples and case studies for publicly funded elections. She stated the motivations behind publicly funded elections tend to stem from two sources: a desire for increased access for candidates and voters, and a desire to limit expenditures of candidates. Ms. Setty outlined the three methods of public funding: matching funds, grants, and the voucher program. She detailed various programs of each of the first two types and discussed Seattle’s unique voucher program. Vice Chair Arndt asked about fundraising caps and the number of candidates. Ms. Setty replied there are limits in most programs which prohibit fundraising after the expenditure limit is reached. Councilmember Ohlson stated he is very supportive of limits to campaign funding but opposed five - dollar limits. He also opposed making determinations of candidates’ personal wealth as it seems to invalidate the entire public financing of elections by giving those who are self-funded a green light. Ms. Setty agreed the determination of personal wealth would be inappropriate and stated Los Angeles has a requirement that candidates must receive 100 five-dollar donations to qualify, though it also allows other donations that qualify as small donor donations. Chair Canonico suggested the five-dollar donations could be seen as somewhat equivalent to obtaining signatures on a petition. ATTACHMENT 4 City of Fort Collins Page 2 Kyle Stannert, City Manager’s Office, stated one of the remote participants stated the five dollars is not a contribution limit, but is a minimum contribution to qualify for public finance. Chair Canonico requested additional information regarding Seattle’s voucher program. Ms. Setty replied citizens are given vouchers that represent their portion of public funding and those vouchers can be directed to candidates online or physically. Kyle Stannert noted Mr. Perkins also stated the 20% of personal wealth means 20% of one’s campaign funds is the maximum for personal contributions. 4. REDISTRICTING UPDATE Interim City Clerk Pusheck stated staff is looking to engage the City’s IT department to help find a contractor to help with redistricting. 5. NOVEMBER ELECTIONS Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted the Committee was provided information in its packet and asked what additional information would be needed. Vice Chair Arndt asked when necessary Charter changes would go before voters should the Committee recommend this change to Council. Interim City Clerk Pusheck replied the assumption is November of 2022. City Attorney Daggett noted Council could call a special election and put items on the November ballot as well as the April regular municipal election ballot. She discussed possible permutations of a shift from April to November elections noting some type of change in term lengths would be necessary. Councilmember Ohlson stated lengthening terms would likely be more palatable than shortening them. City Attorney Daggett commented on other municipalities that have switched to November elections. Councilmember Ohlson noted the Committee has consistently expressed support for even year November elections. Interim City Clerk Pusheck provided preliminary information related to various scenarios that would result from a change to November elections depending on when that change may occur. Committee members discussed the current two-year Mayoral term versus four-year Council terms. It was noted that does allow for four seats to be up for election every two years. Committee members commented on November elections being beneficial due to the higher number of voters despite possible ballot fatigue with longer ballots. Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted t here may be some imbalance in that one group of candidates would always be on the ballot with the presidential election whereas the other group would not. City Attorney Daggett noted the City can currently do TABOR questions during regular municipal elections, and that option would be eliminated if April elections were eliminated. She noted term limits would also need to be addressed in any ballot language. 6. FUTURE ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE DATES WITH SCHEDULING CONFLICTS Councilmember Ohlson suggested meeting dates with holiday conflicts should be rescheduled. Other members agreed. 7. OTHER BUSINESS Interim City Clerk Pusheck requested guidance as to what topics the Committee would like to discuss at the next couple meetings. Committee members discussed the timing of key topics and Vice Chair Arndt suggested the development of a calendar working backward from any items that would need Charter changes and associated voter approval. City of Fort Collins Page 3 8. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:13 PM. City of Fort Collins Page 1 November 15, 2021 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Arndt, Canonico, Ohlson STAFF PRESENT: Carrie Daggett, Tammi Pusheck, Ryan Malarkey CITIZENS PRESENT: Robbie Moreland, Jody Deschanes (remote) 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.ROLL CALL 3.PUBLIC COMMENT Robbie Moreland stated she is looking forward to hearing from County Clerk Angela Myers regarding moving elections to November and about the County’s readiness for ranked choice voting. She provided information regarding the RCV Resource Center’s state readiness assessment for Colorado and discussed other municipalities that use ranked choice voting. She encouraged the Committee to refer ranked choice voting to the ballot. Jody Deschanes thanked the Committee for its work on election reform items and expressed support for Ms. Moreland’s comments. 4.PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOW-UP Councilmember Ohlson encouraged the Committee to work on both issues to ensure no deadlines are missed in terms of placing an item on the ballot. City Attorney Daggett stated the deadlines for most items are in late summer and she discussed deadlines for charter amendments. 5.CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 AND OCTOBER 18, 2021 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Vice Chair Arndt made a motion, seconded by Councilmember Ohlson, to adopt and approve the meeting minutes of September 20 and October 18, 2021. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6.CONSIDERATION AND PROPOSAL TO MOVE TO NOVEMBER ELECTIONS AND RELATED ACTIONS a.Guest: Angela Myers, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Angela Myers, Larimer County Clerk, discussed the differences between odd and even year November coordinated elections noting they are administered differently because of different requirements. Additionally, the volume of response is quite higher in even year elections and the even year elections are partisan. Vice Chair Arndt asked about the average voter turnout difference for the odd and even year elections. County Clerk Myers replied turnout is based on interest and tends to be in the high 80% to low 90% range in Larimer County. Odd year elections tend to have a turnout rate of 30-40% of active registered voters. Vice Chair Arndt asked about the logistics of placing the City’s non-partisan election on an even year ballot, and potentially including ranked choice voting in that. County Clerk Myers replied she is unsure whether party affiliation can be left off an even year ballot. Chair Canonico asked if the County’s equipment can tally ranked choice voting. County Clerk Myers replied the Secretary of State’s office is still working on details of equipment or upgrade needs. ATTACHMENT 5 City of Fort Collins Page 2 Councilmember Ohlson stated he would prefer to move to even year November elections and is also supportive of ranked choice voting. He commented on the history of changes made to City elections and stated he would like to see staff focus on even year November elections and forego any further discussion of odd year November elections. Interim City Clerk Pusheck asked how costs are allocated to participating municipalities in a coordinated election. County Clerk Myers replied all participating entities share in the cos t of the election via a pro rata share based on the number of voters served by that entity. She noted the state pays a flat $0.80 per active registered voter when it has a question on the ballot. She also stated any ranked choice voting costs would be more directly linked to the City, specifically any required licensing costs from the Secretary of State’s office which could significantly add to the cost of an election for the City. Interim City Clerk Pusheck asked if there is an additional cost if a municipality’s questions cause the ballot to go to another page. County Clerk Myers replied in the affirmative but stated that has not occurred in the past; however, there has been some discussion about giving consideration to the volume of the ballot taken up by each of the municipalities. Chair Canonico asked how each round of running ballots in a ranked choice voting election would be charged. County Clerk Myers replied the additional time costs associated with that would be exclusively attributed to the City. Interim City Clerk Pusheck asked how the order of the ballot items is determined. County Clerk Myers replied it is statutory and also based on timing of when ballot items are certified to the County. City Attorney Daggett asked about the typical order of an even year November ballot. County Clerk Myers replied candidates are first with the national, statewide, and countywide candidates first followed by municipal candidates, then any ballot questions would be listed in the same order. Chair Canonico thanked County Clerk Myers for her time. Jennifer Poznanovic discussed the impacts to tax-related ballot items should there be a move to a November coordinated election. She noted further detail will be provided at an upcoming Council Finance Committee meeting. City Attorney Daggett noted staff provided a chart related to pros and cons of making the change to a November coordinated election during one of this Committee’s first meetings. Vice Chair Arndt suggested contacting CML for input from other municipalities that have made the change to November elections. Councilmember Ohlson stated there should not be fear of moving forward because of perceived one - time glitches. He also noted it is not necessary to wait for taxes to expire to place their renewal on the ballot. He asked if Council could place an item on the 2022 ballot if so desired. Jennifer Poznanovic replied November of 2022 would be the earliest election opportunity to place an item on the ballot. b. Term transition follow-up Interim City Clerk Pusheck provided a proposed term transition timeline for moving forward with November elections and creating ballot language if necessary. Chair Canonico asked if there are any issues at the state level with extending Council terms as would be required for a shift to November elections. City Attorney Daggett replied there is no legal issue. Committee members discussed the pros and cons of various term transitions and noted any switch would go before voters in November of 2022. City of Fort Collins Page 3 7. REDISTRICTING UPDATE Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted it has been determined redistricting can not occur in -house; therefore, a consultant is being sought to move forward. Councilmember Ohlson asked if it has been determined College Avenue is no longer a hard and fast district division line. Staff members replied in the affirmative. Councilmember Ohlson commented on the importance of ensuring an incumbent is not moved out of a district during the redistricting process and on the importance of a fair and common sense process. 8. PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR BALLOT QUESTION APPROVAL Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted a February work session for a discussion of November elections has been scheduled with a hope that will result in a recommendation allowing the City Attorney’s Office to draft language for June Council meetings. Vice Chair Arndt stated she would like to have an estimated cost of implementing ranked choice voting to provide transparency to voters. City Attorney Daggett stated the County may actually need to complete an election with ranked choice voting prior to an accurate cost estimate being available. Councilmember Ohlson stated he wanted to ensure no technical deadlines would be missed on placing ranked choice voting on the ballot. Committee members discussed the necessary timeline for ballot issues. 9. FUTURE ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE DATES WITH SCHEDULING CONFLICTS Interim City Clerk Pusheck noted all meetings dates with a conflicting Monday holiday have been rescheduled. She asked if members would like to continue with a hybrid meeting format. Committee members replied in the affirmative. 10. OTHER BUSINESS Vice Chair Arndt and Chair Canonico reported on a discussion regarding publicly-financed elections. 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:10 PM City of Fort Collins Page 1 February 28, 2022 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Arndt, Canonico, Ohlson STAFF PRESENT: Kyle Stannert, Rita Knoll, Ryan Malarky, Tammi Pusheck, Carrie Daggett, Anissa Hollingshead CITIZENS PRESENT: Joe Rowan, Robbie Moreland, Jody DesChenes, Steve Lucas 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.ROLL CALL 3.PUBLIC COMMENT Joe Rowan suggested items being discussed for ballot consideration should be brought forward by citizens, not Council. He also stated there needs to be more robust conversation about the implications and costs of making various changes to the election process. Robbie Moreland stated she is looking forward to the discussion on ranked choice voting and she presented postcards from residents in support of the placement of the topic on the November ballot. She commented on the difference between the City and state regarding disclosure requirements for contributions collected by independent expenditure groups. Jody DesChenes expressed support for the placement of ranked choice voting on the November ballot. She stated ranked choice voting is not more difficult nor more expensive than a regular election. Steve Lucas, Citizens for a Sustainable Economy, commented on myth s regarding successes of ranked choice voting. He cited various election situations and stated ranked choice voting disenfranchises voters. He also stated moving elections to November will increase election costs. He commented on the number of towns that have repealed ranked choice voting. 4.PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOW-UP Mayor Arndt stated the costs associated with ranked choice voting should be researched and she concurred the disclosure requirements for independent expenditure committees should be changed. Councilmember Ohlson concurred. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted that would require a Code change. Chair Canonico requested additional information on communities that have repealed ranked choice voting. Councilmember Ohlson concurred that would be valuable information to have for the upcoming work session. 5.CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 10, 2022 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Councilmember Ohlson made a motion, seconded by Mayor Arndt, to adopt and approve the meeting minutes of January 10, 2022. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6.REDISTRICTING UPDATE Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated the County’s redistricting data has recently been received and GIS is now moving forward with the City’s efforts. She stated the plan is for an April or May presentation of the information. ATTACHMENT 6 City of Fort Collins Page 2 7. ELECTION TIMING AND ADMINISTRATIVE OPTIONS DISCUSSION City Clerk Hollingshead stated staff would like to walk through potential alternatives for a work session discussion. She discussed pros and cons of election timing in terms of maintaining April elections or moving to November elections of either odd or even years. Councilmember Ohlson commented on the direction being provided to staff to be prepared for an April 2023 election. Chair Canonico asked when the state will be requiring counties to be prepared to handle ranked choice voting. City Clerk Hollingshead replied it is a soft requirement for November of 2023. Members discussed the various effects of changing from April to November elections , particularly on Council terms. City Attorney Daggett noted any changes to Council terms that would result from a sw itch to November elections would also need to be part of the voter approval, but would not necessarily need to be written into the Charter. Mayor Arndt asked if there are other municipalities that conduct local elections in November of odd years. City Clerk Hollingshead replied there are many, including Loveland and Greeley. City Clerk Hollingshead presented information regarding the effects of April versus November elections on ranked choice voting in terms of responsibilities. She also discussed what items would be included on the ballots for April versus November elections and listed advantages and disadvantages of having elections remain in April versus switching to November. Members also discussed the effects of the timing of taking office for April versus November elections. City Attorney Daggett noted the timeframe between the election and swearing in has increased due to Charter changes that allow for more time for receiving overseas ballots and conducting recounts if needed. City Clerk Hollingshead discussed a meeting with County Clerk Myers regarding what the City could anticipate in working with the County in coordinated elections. She discussed the cost allocation f or coordinated elections and noted all ranked choice voting costs of those elections would be passed on to the City. City Clerk Hollingshead outlined the various deadlines that would change with a shift to November elections. She also discussed public outreach and voter education regarding ranked choice voting. She showed examples of ballots that include ranked choice voting and ballots for even versus odd years. City Attorney Daggett noted the County will be following state standards when conducting elections. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted ranked choice voting is only an option for municipal candidates, not school board. Councilmember Ohlson noted changes, even if met with resistance initially, are always doable. Mayor Arndt asked City Clerk Hollingshead if more candidates ran for office when ranked choice voting was implemented. City Clerk Hollingshead replied in the affirmative. Malarkey suggested an additional ECC meeting may need to be scheduled prior to th e March 21st meeting in advance of the March 22nd work session. Members concurred and determined the remaining items on this agenda will be discussed at that additional meeting. City of Fort Collins Page 3 8. SCOPE OF WORK DISCUSSION ON POTENTIAL BALLOT QUESTIONS AND DIRECTION FOR STAFF 9. CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMPARISON TO STATE LAW Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated, in most cases, the City Code is somewhat stricter and more transparent than the state law, and the only major difference is related to the independent expe nditure committees’ contribution reporting. 10. PROPOSED TIMELINE 11. FUTURE ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE DATES WITH SCHEDULING CONFLICTS 12. OTHER BUSINESS 13. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:33 PM City of Fort Collins Page 1 March 7, 2022 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Arndt, Canonico, Ohlson STAFF PRESENT: Rita Knoll, Ryan Malarky, Tammi Pusheck, Carrie Daggett, Anissa Hollingshead CITIZENS PRESENT: Robbie Moreland, Jan Kok, Eric Fried, Kathleen Schmidt, Sonya Ketting, Nick Armstrong, Michelle Haefele 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.ROLL CALL 3.PUBLIC COMMENT Robbie Moreland encouraged the Committee to refer ranked choice voting to the ballot. Jan Kok supported replacing the current plurality voting system with an improved system, approval voting. He discussed the system which involves utilizing the current type of ballot while allowing voters to vote for as many candidates as they would like. He stated Fargo, North Dakota and Saint Louis, Missouri have adopted the system. Eric Fried supported ranked choice voting and opposed plurality voting. He noted Maine, Alaska, and New York City use ranked choice voting. Kathleen Schmidt discussed the disadvantages of plurality voting and the advantages of ranked choice voting. Sonya Ketting expressed support for ranked choice voting. Nick Armstrong expressed support for ranked choice voting. Michelle Haefele expressed support for ranked choice voting. 4.PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOW-UP Mayor Arndt thanked Mr. Fried for discussing a new voting system. Members thanked the speakers. 5.ELECTION TIMING AND ADMINISTRATIVE OPTIONS DISCUSSION Mayor Arndt commented on the possibility of prioritizing changes, such as referring ranked choice voting to the ballot first then considering changing elections to November. Chair Canonico noted considering changing the election to November was a priority for the Committee; however, ranked choice voting was not. Councilmember Ohlson stated his first priority is campaign finance reform and he believes all changes could be made at the same time. He stated he could support odd year November elections over even year. He also stated if ranked choice voting is approved by voters in November, it would not necessarily need to be implemented in an April 2023 election. He expressed personal support for ranked choice voting and supported placing both items on the November ballot. Mayor Arndt stated her first preference is also to put both items on the November ballot. Members discussed wording for dealing with the possibility that ranked choice voting passes and moving to November elections does not. ATTACHMENT 7 City of Fort Collins Page 2 Chair Canonico asked when counties will be required to be prepared to hold ranked choice elections. City Clerk Hollingshead replied the Secretary of State is recommending counties be prepared by November of 2023; however, there is some discretionary language involved. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted the issue is whether Larimer County will have the equipment that is ultimately certified by the Secretary of State. If it does not have that equipment, it is not required to replace equipment per the legislation related to ranked choice voting. Chair Canonico asked if the City could be ready to do a ranked choice election in April of 2023 should the ballot initiative to move the elections to November fail. City Clerk Hollingshead replied the most challenging aspect would be dealing with contingencies through election day. City Attorney Daggett stated there would still be an option to h ave a local April 2023 election even if voters approve the change to November elections. Mayor Arndt stated that would be difficult for the electorate. City Attorney Daggett noted the work session agenda materials will go to print prior to the next Committee meeting. Members discussed the topics to be included in the work session materials. Councilmember Ohlson commented on his desire for all donors to any type of committee to be made public. Members discussed concerns with donors being required to provide addresses which become public information. City Attorney Daggett discussed independent expenditures and requirements for small scale issue committees, which are consistent with state law. She suggested changing the requirements for small scale issue committees to be such that they would automatically switch to a full committee with regular reporting requirements after reaching a certain threshold for independent expenditures. Councilmember Ohlson stated he wants to see as much transparency and disclosure as possible. City Attorney Daggett noted anyone who is receiving contributions for a political activity must register as a committee. Any type of existing group, such as the Sierra Club for example, that happens to be spending money in a City election is currently not required to disclose where the money came from ; therefore, addressing independent expenditures is likely the best way to ens ure additional transparency in those types of situations. 6. PROPOSED TIMELINE City Clerk Hollingshead noted the next Committee meeting will be the day prior to the work session and stated future meetings will focus more on campaign finance as well as redistricting. Councilmember Ohlson asked about the scale of change in the Counc il districts that will result from the redistricting. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll suggested an entire reconfiguration of the districts could be a possibility. She asked members to discuss whether that would be acceptable, or whether they would prefer to keep the current district layout with additional balance. She noted the districts need to be as balanced as possible population-wise, among other requirements in the Charter. 7. OTHER BUSINESS 8. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:18 PM City of Fort Collins Page 1 May 9, 2022 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00 PM COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Canonico, Ohlson, Francis STAFF PRESENT: Marcus Bodig, Rita Knoll, Ryan Malarky, Tammi Pusheck, Carrie Daggett, Anissa Hollingshead, Kelly DiMartino CITIZENS PRESENT: Martha Coleman, Sarah Tar, William Russell, Nick Armstrong, Marge Norskog, Robbie Moreland 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.ROLL CALL 3. PUBLIC COMMENT Martha Coleman discussed using Census data throughout her career as a geographer, including to assist with state redistricting. She presented a map option for City redistricting that would keep the current districts similarly shaped with the fewest boundary changes possible and a maximum deviation of 8.4%, which is within the 10% threshold. Additionally, she stated the map keeps Councilmembers within their districts, does not create unnecessary changes, and primarily maintains County precincts. Sarah Tar expressed support for referring ranked choice voting to the ballot and commented on the success of the public outreach campaign related to the topic. William Russell expressed support for keeping the City’s district boundaries as close to the current boundaries as possible. Nick Armstrong expressed support for option two presented by staff for redistricting. He also commented on needed infrastructure in the northeast part of town and expressed support for ranked choice voting. Marge Norskog commented on the proposed redistricting options expressing concern about possibly dividing her neighborhood which has four distinct boundaries and should be represented by one Councilmember. Robbie Moreland expressed support for the draft ranked choice voting ballot language as well as for the campaign finance Code changes. She thanked the Committee for its work on the issues. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOW-UP City Attorney Daggett noted there are different redistricting, or reapportionment, processes at the state level and at other levels; the City’s process is driven mainly by the Charter with some constitutional principles that have been applied. She noted the standard that is most critical for this process is what is laid out in the Charter and requires six contiguous, reasonably compact districts, each of which shall consist of contiguous, undivided general election precincts, and, to the extent reasonably possible, an equal number of inhabitants. She noted it will therefore be important to ensure contiguity and compactness when considering redistricting in the city. Chair Canonico asked if there is anything problematic with Ms. Coleman’s suggested option. City Attorney Daggett replied it should be considered whether the contiguity and compactness are compromised and whether the 8.4% deviation is acceptable when other options have a much smaller level of deviation. Chair Canonico clarified the staff option two has a 9% deviation and option one has 5.19%. ATTACHMENT 8 City of Fort Collins Page 2 Councilmember Ohlson stated Ms. Coleman’s option three seems to be a better option as it is not as dramatic a shift from the historic precedent. He commented on the fact that some of the districts will naturally be more compact than others. Mayor Pro Tem Francis expressed concern about the dramatic changes contemplated in the two staff- proposed options. She encouraged additional analysis by staff of the option presented by Ms. Coleman. Marcus Bodig, GIS Manager, replied staff has already determined the option to be viable and accurate. Chair Canonico concurred the two staff-proposed options were concerning in the changes they proposed and stated option three achieves the requirements of the Charter. City Attorney Daggett suggested staff and the Committee may want to take a bit more time to examine the third option. She also suggested moving the next Committee meeting up to allow for one more prior to the June 21st Council meeting, the agenda for which includes this item and other election-related items. 5. CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 18, 2022 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Councilmember Ohlson made a motion, seconded by Chair Canonico, to approve the minutes of the April 18, 2022 Committee meeting. The motion was adopted unanimously. 6. PRESENTATION OF REDISTRICTING OPTIONS AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION (**Secretary’s Note: This topic was discussed as part of Public Comment and Follow-up.) 7. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL BALLOT QUESTIONS City Clerk Hollingshead presented proposed ballot question language and potential Charter language changes. Councilmember Ohlson supported the language provided for both the ranked choice voting and November elections ballot questions. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll asked if there is a preference for the order of the questions on the ballot, which is how they should be presented in the agenda materials for the full Council. City Attorney Daggett noted the language was developed to ensure the passage of either or both items would not create issues. Mr. Armstrong suggested the City create some type of educational video or FAQ page describing the difference between the current election system and the election system that would exist with ranked choice voting and November elections. 8. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE CODE AMENDMENTS City Attorney Daggett noted the yellow highlighted items represent substantive changes from the previous discussion and she outlined those changes. Members and staff discussed mailing list purchasing and in-kind donations of services provided versus volunteering. Mr. Armstrong suggested individuals who are asked to do something they otherwise do professionally should be required to report the service as an in-kind donation. Councilmember Ohlson expressed support for a $75 limit for an in-kind donation. Mayor Pro Tem Francis noted not everyone has the ability to contribute $75 but can contribute skills or time, and limiting that value to $75 could have unintended consequences for candidates who may not have a network of individuals who can donate cash. City of Fort Collins Page 3 City Attorney Daggett stated staff could return with language options and stated there may be some value in distinguishing between contributions of work from more formal, organized providers and from a person who may have certain skills in an area. Members agreed to further discuss the in-kind donation topic. City Attorney Daggett outlined additional potential campaign finance code amendments including reporting threshold changes and language relating to political committees. Chair Canonico commented specifically on billboard costs and some candidates reporting those as $75 in-kind donations. Mr. Armstrong commented on campaigns relying on vendors to detail costs rather than putting the onus on candidates to determine the value of certain in-kind contributions. Chair Canonico stated there should be some responsibility on the part of the candidate to look into what other candidates were charged for the same item. Councilmember Ohlson commented on his desire to ensure transparency in in-kind contributions. City Attorney Daggett stated there may be a way to guide candidates to carefully examine in-kind contributions that are likely to be worth more than $75. City Attorney Daggett outlined possible changes to election infractions and the use of committee funds to pay penalties. Members agreed to further discuss certain issues. Staff committed to working to find an earlier date for the next meeting. 9. PROPOSED TIMELINE No discussion. 10. OTHER BUSINESS None. 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:36 PM MINUTES APPROVED AT THE MAY 31, 2022 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING May 31, 2022 ELECTION CODE COMMITTEE MEETING 10:00 AM COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Canonico, Arndt, Ohlson OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Gutowsky, Francis, Peel STAFF PRESENT: Marcus Bodig, Rita Knoll, Ryan Malarky, Tammi Pusheck, Carrie Daggett, Anissa Hollingshead 1.CALL MEETING TO ORDER 2.ROLL CALL 3.PUBLIC COMMENT None. 4.PUBLIC COMMENT FOLLOW-UP None. 5.CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE MAY 9, 2022 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Councilmember Canonico made a motion, seconded by Mayor Arndt, to approve the May 9, 2022 meeting minutes. The motion was adopted unanimously. (**Secretary’s Note: Councilmember Ohlson arrived at this point in the meeting.) 6.PRESENTATION OF REDISTRICTING OPTIONS AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION City Clerk Hollingshead outlined the history of the four options for redistricting and stated, based on the previous meeting’s discussion, staff has presented what was then option three developed by a resident, and a new option four which makes a slight change to option three. She stated there have been some recent issues with population counts due to the County’s precincts not adhering to census block groups. Marcus Bodig, GIS, further detailed the population count issue. Mayor Arndt asked how big of an issue has been created. Bodig replied there are 10 to 20 instances of block groups being cut out of perhaps 500 or so. Councilmember Ohlson asked why the City and County Clerk’s Offices do not coordinate on these issues. City Clerk Hollingshead replied the two redistricting processes are independent as the County must ensure it is adhering to state statute. It does not take into account the City’s process with redistricting or elections in general as the County is governed by the Uniform Election Code and the City is governed by the Municipal Election Code. Councilmember Ohlson asked about the practical impact of the population count issues on the redistricting options. City Attorney Daggett replied work has yet to be completed; however, staff is attempting to focus in on the lines between the districts to determine where the precinct lines cut across census blocks and look at what can be done to try to approximate. Councilmember Ohlson asked if staff is requesting additional time rather than a formal recommendation. City Attorney Daggett replied in the affirmative and stated staff has yet to determine whether there will need to be changes, but would like to do those additional checks. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll noted options three and four have been renumbered to one and two and reiterated the only difference between the two is a slight change to one precinct. City Attorney Daggett ATTACHMENT 9 City of Fort Collins Page 2 discussed the population of that precinct, 362. Bodig noted it does not take much of a population change to affect the deviation. Councilmember Gutowsky asked about the main reasons the original options one and two were not deemed acceptable. Chair Canonico replied the resident’s proposed option three provided the greatest continuity with the current districts and met all the necessary criteria. It was noted the ultimate decision will be up to the full Council. Councilmember Gutowsky stated she would like the original options one and two to still be considered and noted a large piece of Old Town that was once in her district is now gone with the resident’s proposed map. Councilmember Peel also stated she would like all of the options to remain for consideration. Mayor Arndt suggested going back to the original options one through four to eliminate confusion. 7. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL CHARTER AMENDMENT BALLOT QUESTIONS City Attorney Daggett outlined the changes made since the last discussion of this item and asked if the Committee wants to make a formal recommendation. Members discussed the ballot question language. Mayor Arndt asked the City Clerk her opinion on whether the election becomes coordinated and if ranked choice voting passes. City Clerk Hollingshead replied Fort Collins seems to place a great deal of value on flexibility and autonomy and holding municipal elections would allow for more autonomy, such as paying for postage on return ballots. She stated there are areas for making a meaningful impact on voter turnout that might accomplish some of the goals that are being sought from switching to November coordinated elections. She commented on ways to increase voter turnout. Members discussed the impact of holding municipal elections in November, but not having them be coordinated with the county. Councilmember Ohlson stated he does not like the idea of voters receiving two ballots in November at this time. Members concurred they would support the amended charter ballot language related to November coordinated elections and ranked choice voting. 8. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE CODE AMENDMENTS City Attorney Daggett commented on the updates that have been made based on the discussion at the last Committee meeting. She requested input from members regarding mailing lists and how they are treated in terms of contributions. Councilmember Ohlson stated he does not believe purchased mailing lists should be able to be given to other candidates; however, the sharing of personally developed mailing lists is not a concern. Other members agreed and requested staff prepare some language related to the topic. Members discussed contributions in kind and how contributions of services such as web design should be addressed. Councilmember Ohlson expressed concern about the number of hours certain professionals could contribute to a campaign that would greatly exceed $75. City Attorney Daggett stated staff would work on additional language to address the provision of services. She discussed the changes made to language regarding not allowing committee funds to be used to pay penalties. Councilmember Ohlson commented on the effectiveness of this committee but stated he did not want all of the work done to not mean anything. He stated he believes there should be consequences for non-compliance and stated he would support penalties not being allowed to be paid from committee funds. City of Fort Collins Page 3 City Attorney Daggett noted there is an escalation factor for fines, and multiple offenses eventually result in a criminal offense. If someone is convicted, they are disqualified from serving. She stated the list of offenses and associated penalties was placed in the Code in 2020 because the Committee at that time wanted to create a predictable process. She noted this Committee could recommend changes to the dollar amounts associated with the violations and noted there are still some items that are criminal offenses. Councilmember Ohlson opposed a minor fine penalty for blatant violations. Chair Canonico stated she would like there to be room for errors to be made without it being a fatal flaw for candidates. City Attorney Daggett noted the process that was put in place in 2020 calls for the Clerk to provide notice of a complaint and for the candidate to have 7 days to correct. If corrected, the issue is resolved. Additionally, she stated there is a provision that makes criminal knowingly violating the disclosure and filing report with intent to fraudulently misrepresent campaign contributions or expenditures on a disclosure report. Members requested staff prepare language regarding the topic. Chair Canonico asked about penalties at the state level. Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll replied the state has a daily penalty and there are municipalities with daily penalties; however, those are difficult to enforce. Councilmember Ohlson commented on the biggest violation he sees being related to monies not being reported within the first three days of having committed the funds at the end of campaigns. He requested staff work on language to tighten the issue of committing funds versus spending funds. Other members agreed. Members commented on campaign finance reports not being cumulative for total amounts raised and total amounts spent. City Attorney Daggett noted staffing resources have made review of each campaign finance report difficult and have led to public review being the primary source of complaints. 9. REVIEW OF TIMELINE FOR PRIORITIES Chief Deputy City Clerk Knoll stated the redistricting ordinance will hopefully by heard by the full Council at the two July meetings after an additional Committee meeting. 10. OTHER BUSINESS 11. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 11:50 AM City Clerk 300 Laporte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221-6295 - fax fcgov.com/cityclerk MEMORANDUM DATE: March 25, 2022 TO: Mayor and Councilmembers FROM: Anissa Hollingshead, City Clerk THROUGH: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager Kyle Stannert, Deputy City Manager RE: March 22, 2022 Work Session Summary November Coordinated Elections and Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) The purpose of this discussion was to share with the full Council and seek direction on the alternatives its Election Code Committee has been considering regarding possible shifts in election administration that would require voter approval via ballot questions. Staff provided a presentation led by City Clerk Anissa Hollingshead outlining the basics of how ranked choice voting works, options for its implementation in Fort Collins, and considerations around the potential to shift to November coordinated elections, either in tandem with or separately from implementing RCV. Also assisting with questions during the discussion were Deputy City Manager Kyle Stannert, Chief Deputy Clerk Rita Knoll, and City Attorney Carrie Daggett. All Councilmembers were present via Zoom. Council Feedback: There was significant discussion as well as questions about the timing of the two measures, both in terms of when to place them on the ballot and when they should go into effect. There was some concern expressed by several Councilmembers about the extent to which moving the elections to November would increase voter turnout, and a desire to be clear about voter turnout and participation as the ultimate goal. There was some concern expressed about changing the length of current terms, and at the same time recognition that ultimately the voters will decide whether to make the change. There were concerns about the length of time it would take to implement the April to November shift if it were structured so as to not shorten or extend any current terms. There was generally a preference for treating all seats in the same way (in other words, either extend all or shorten all, rather than varying from seat to seat to accelerate the change). There was general support, with some opposition, to the idea of presenting two questions, the move from April to November of regular City elections and ranked choice voting to the voters, in November 2022. There was interest expressed in implementing the two changes, if approved, in a staggered way to reduce the potential for confusing voters and increase the ability to gauge impacts on voter turnout. ATTACHMENT 10 Several Councilmembers expressed support for the approach of structuring the proposed shift from April to November elections to shift the April 2023 election to November 2023 and extend the terms of all current officeholders by seven months. Several Councilmembers expressed support for setting the implementation date for Ranked Choice Voting as the regular City election in 2025 (whether April or November). There was some wish for more data about potential costs as well as more data regarding the expected impacts on voter turnout, but also recognition that the data is not necessarily available. Next Steps: Potential ballot language for two possible questions will be developed and presented to the Election Code Committee (ECC) for its review and input before it comes to the full Council as an ordinance for adoption. In response to a request, staff will prepare and provide Council with a brief memo outlining the extent of adoption of RCV across the country, including information about jurisdictions that adopted and subsequently moved away from using it. Additional cost estimates are being prepared to the extent possible and will be shared as that work continues. Council can anticipate seeing an update as part of a response to a Service Area Request that also includes details of the formula Larimer County utilizes for allocating election expenses to jurisdictions participating in a coordinated election. Additional available data on voter turnout in different recent election types will be provided to the ECC and the full Council as it considers next steps on the potential ballot questions. Considering November Elections Recommendations from the Election Code Committee relating to the potential ballot question under consideration by the City Council Consideration of First Reading of Ordinance and Ballot Language 06/21/2022 ATTACHMENT 11 2Ballot Language CITY-INITIATED PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. ___ (November Elections) Shall Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, regarding the conduct of City elections, be amended to: ·make the regular city election date the first Tu esday in November of every odd-numbered year, instead of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April of every odd-numbered year; ·transition to the new election schedule by extending the current term of the Mayor and of each Councilmember from April to November of the appropriate odd-numbered year, without altering the number of terms each may serve; ·allow for coordinated elections to be conducted by the County Clerk and Recorder and clarify the applicable law for coordinated elections; ·allow Council to adjust the time frame for candidate nominations and withdrawals up to 180 days prior to an election; and ·make minor conforming edits; and shall Article II of the Charter, regarding membership, terms and organization of the City Council, be amended to provide that City officers elected in a November election shall be sworn in and take office, and a Mayor Pro Te m shall be elected, at a special Council meeting on the second Tuesday of January after such election? Ye s/For No/Against Primary Drivers to Consider 3 •Vo ter participation •Maximizing voter turnout and participation in municipal races •Costs •Responsible and effective use of funding •Professional administration / effective governance •Confidence in results and integrity of process •Strong ability to be responsive to voter needs •Ability to fulfill election responsibilities that cannot be coordinated Supporting Voter Participation To ols for supporting voter participation by making voting easier and more convenient: •Vo ter outreach and education •Vo ting options •Postage paid ballot return •Tr anslation of key voting information •Candidate support Ballot content is a primary driver of turnout 4 5Historical Turnout –Larimer County Election Ye ar Pollbook Before Election Vo te Centers Entities To tal Vo tes % Total Vo ted General 11/2/2004 199,129 155,441 31 15 147,112 94.64% General 11/6/2012 241,124 195,428 24 11 181,866 93.06% General 11/4/2008 210,899 181,832 33 9 167,294 92.00% General*11/3/2020 279,683 252,524 18 17 226,696 89.77% General*11/8/2016 256,411 226,069 14 15 201,014 88.92% General 11/11/1980 76,648 n/a n/a n/a 65,364 85.28% General 11/6/1984 90,050 n/a n/a n/a 76,556 85.01% General 11/3/1992 122,446 n/a n/a 4 100,755 82.29% General*11/6/2018 264,265 230,903 15 15 183,113 79.30% General 11/2/2010 219,128 167,640 24 15 127,625 76.13% Coordinated 11/1/2005 186,503 142,953 25 16 79,529 55.63% Coordinated 11/2/2021 277,531 259,583 6 14 112,776 43.45% 20th 28th 1st - 10th 1st non- presidential 6Historical Turnout –City of Fort Collins Ye ar Registered Voters Ballots Cast Turnout 1977 26,608 5,193 19.52% 1979 23,584 14,404 61.08% 1981 32,732 7,709 23.55% 1983 27,492 9,744 35.44% 1985 42,696 7,332 17.17% 1987 45,299 9,113 20.12% 1989 55,577 8,291 14.92% 1991 43,805 10,678 24.38% 1993 54,062 9,684 17.91% 1995 53,456 22,489 42.07% 1997 71,199 17,831 25.04% 1999*48,799 28,536 58.48% 2001*58,926 20,745 35.21% 2003*50,738 26,010 51.26% 2005*72,477 31,498 43.46% Ye ar Registered Voters Ballots Cast Turnout 2007*56,898 21,164 37.20% 2009*80,250 25,169 31.36% 2011*62,260 28,093 45.12% 2013**89,356 26,044 29.15% 2015*92,259 34,081 36.94% 2017*105,868 29,908 28.25% 2019*105,407 32,799 31.12% 2021*112,686 42,283 37.52% *Reflects Active Vo ters only **Reflects Active and Certain inactive-failed to vote voters Return postage on ballots paid by City starting in 2013 Costs Core Election Expenses •Core staffing –no dedicated election staff in Fort Collins •Use of consultant(s) to assist in implementation •Office equipment & supplies •Te chnology and operating systems •General work around public awareness & education regarding municipal elections Election Event Expenses •Te mporary/seasonal labor, including election judges •Te chnology related costs for software, hardware & support •Ballot artwork, programming & printing •Overtime expenses for existing staff •Rental of election-specific equipment •Mail balloting costs •Vo ter education efforts specific to a particular election event 7 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Professional Administration Confidence in results and integrity of process •Both Larimer County & City of Fort Collins run excellent elections •Ti ming of certification of results likely needs to shift in any scenario Strong ability to be responsive to voter needs •Serving Fort Collins residents and voters as a priority Ability to fulfill election responsibilities that cannot be coordinated •Only regular municipal elections can be coordinated •Retaining election readiness without doing regular elections 8 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY Nov. 2022 •Special coordinated election to place question(s) on ballot Ap ril 2023 •Unknown if there will be an April election until after Nov. 2022 results •All regular plans must move forward, including ordering materials with supply chain issues •Candidate communication to identify potential shift in election date Nov. 2023 •Possible first coordinated election date if amendment passes as prepared •Cost estimates will not be known until September 2023 Ti ming in 2023 Planning Underway for Multiple Elections Overview of Potential Future Ye ar Elections 2023 2025 2027 April Mayor + 2,4,6 Mayor + 1,3,5 Mayor + 2,4,6 November Mayor + 2,4,6 (all current terms +7 months) Mayor + 1,3,5 (current terms except mayor +7 months) Mayor + 2,4,6 Nov. starting in 2025 Mayor + 2,4,6 (elect in April for new terms + 7 months) Mayor + 1,3,5 (current terms fo r 1,3,5 + 7 months) Mayor + 2,4,6 Running for Office in November Timing shifts •Ti me for circulating nomination petitions shifts from 70-49 days prior to Election Day (Feb) to 91-71 days prior to Election Day (Aug) •Deadline to withdraw from nomination shifts from 42 days to 63 days prior to the election •All ballot content must be finalized and certified 60 days prior to a coord.election Costs for candidates •Potential increased costs to campaign in a more crowded election and challenge in gaining airtime 11 For Questions or Comments, Please Contact: THANK YOU! Anissa Hollingshead, City Clerk ahollingshead@fcgov.com 970-416-2995 -1- ORDINANCE NO. 081, 2022 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER SHIFTING THE CITY’S REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION FROM EACH ODD-YEAR APRIL TO EACH ODD-YEAR NOVEMBER WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (the “Charter”) provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, Colorado Revised Statutes, provides that Charter amendments may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council submitting a proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins; and WHEREAS, on May 17, 2022, the City Council adopted on second reading Ordinance No. 056, 2022, calling a special municipal election (“November Election”) to be held in conjunction with the November 8, 2022, Larimer County General Election; and WHEREAS, Article VIII of the Charter concerns the conduct of elections in the City of Fort Collins, including Article VIII, Section 7, regarding the Certification of Election Results; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to take steps to encourage and facilitate voter participation in the City’s municipal elections, and Council believes shifting the City’s regular municipal elections, at which Fort Collins voters select the Mayor and members of the Council, from each odd-year April to each odd-year November will help accomplish increased voter participation; and WHEREAS, the Council’s intent in adopting this Ordinance is to present to the City’s electorate at the November Election, through the ballot title set in Section 3 of this Ordinance, proposed amendments to Article II and Article XIII of the City Charter that would, if adopted, shift the City’s regular municipal elections from each odd-year April to each odd-year November, and transition current Mayor and Councilmember terms to the new schedule; and WHEREAS, accordingly, the City Council desires to submit to the Fort Collins electors the Charter amendment below. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Article II and Article VIII of the City Charter, shifting the City’s regular municipal election from each odd-year April to each -2- odd-year November, shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment ???” at the November Election: ARTICLE II. CITY COUNCIL Section 1. Membership; terms. . . . (d) Terms. Except as otherwise provided in Section 18 of this Article and Section 3(d) of Article IX, the term of office of the Mayor shall be two (2) years, and the term of office of all other members of the Council shall be four (4) years each; provided, however, that all such officers shall serve until their successors have been elected and have taken office. The terms of the Mayor and other members of the Council shall begin when they take the oath of office, which shall occur as the first order of business at the first regular ora special Council meeting on the second Tuesday of January next after the following the final certification of election results and after expiration of the recount period, or, if appointed, the first regular or special Council meeting following their appointment. . . . Section 4. Organization. The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council and shall be recognized as head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor of the state for purposes of military law. The Mayor shall execute and authenticate legal instruments requiring the signature of the Mayor. The Mayor shall also perform such other duties as may be provided by ordinance which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter. At the first regular or special meeting after final certification of a City electionat which newly- elected officers take their oath of office as described in Section 2(d) of this Article, and after expiration of the recount period, the Council shall elect a Mayor Pro Tem for a two (2) year term from among the members of the Council to act as Mayor during the absence or disability of the Mayor. If a vacancy occurs in the position of Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem shall become Mayor as provided in Section 18(b) below. If a vacancy occurs in the position of Mayor Pro Tem, whether through resignation or otherwise, the Council shall at the first regular or special meeting after the occurrence of such vacancy elect a new Mayor Pro Tem to serve for the remainder of the vacated term. . . . -3- ARTICLE VIII. ELECTIONS Section 1. Applicability of state constitution. The Council shall provide by ordinance for the manner of holding city elections. All ordinances regarding elections shall be consistent with the provisions of this Charter and the state Constitution. Any matter regarding elections not covered by the state Constitution, this Charter or ordinance of the Council shall be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado relating to municipal elections, or coordinated municipal elections, as applicable. Section 2. City elections. A regular city election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April November of every odd-numbered years. All other municipal elections shall be known as sSpecial city elections and shall be called by ordinance and shall be held in accordance with the provisions of this Charter and any ordinances adopted pursuant thereto. All municipal elections shall be nonpartisan. In order to implement a change of regular city elections from April of each odd-numbered year to November of each odd-numbered year, the term of the Mayor and each Councilmember shall be extended to such time as a successor elected in November of the appropriate odd-numbered year (consistent with Article II, Section 1(b)) takes office, unless otherwise ended due to an event of vacancy or recall. Such change in term length shall have no effect on the number of terms any such officer may be elected under the applicable term limits. Section 3. Nomination; withdrawal from nomination. Any person who is qualified at the time of nomination for the office to be filled may be nominated for the elective office by petition. A nominating petition for the office of Mayor shall be signed by not less than twenty-five (25) registered electors. A nominating petition for District Council office shall be signed by not less than twenty-five (25) registered electors residing in that District. A registered elector may sign one (1) petition for each office for which the elector is entitled to vote at the election. If an elector should sign more petitions than entitled, said elector's signature shall be void as to all petitions which the elector signed. Nominating petitions must be filed with the City Clerk. The Council shall enact an ordinance specifying the time frame for circulation and submittal of nominating petitions and the deadline for withdrawal from candidacy for municipal office. Such time frame shall not be changed within one (1) year hundred eighty (180) days immediately prior to the election. No nominating petition shall be accepted unless the candidate completes a verified acceptance of the nomination certifying that he or she is not a candidate, directly or indirectly, of any political party, and that he or she meets the qualifications for office, and will serve if elected. A person who has been nominated may withdraw from candidacy by filing a written request to do so with the City Clerk before the deadline established by Council ordinance for such withdrawal, and no name so withdrawn shall be placed upon the ballot. . . . -4- Section 5. Board of Elections for City-administered elections. There is hereby created a Board of Elections consisting of the City Clerk, Chief Deputy City Clerk, and Chief Judge. The Board shall be responsible for any election duties specified in this Charter and for such additional duties related to the conduct of elections by the City as may be established by the Council by ordinance. . . . Section 7. Certification of election results. (a) No later than the date specified by the Council by ordinance tenth day after every city election and, after verifying the total number of legal votes cast for each candidate and measure voted upon, the Board of Elections shall complete a certificate declaring the results of the election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for a particular office shall be declared elected to that office. In event of a tie, the selection shall be made by the Board of Elections by lot after notice to the candidates affected. In case the candidate elected fails to qualify within sixty (60) days after the date of issuance of the certificate of election, the candidate with the next highest vote shall be elected, and the candidate failing to qualify shall forfeit his or her office whether or not such candidate has taken the oath of office. If there is no other elected successor who qualifies, the office shall be deemed vacant, and shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the council, as provided in Article II, Section 18. In the event of a mandatory recount or recount by request, the Board of Elections shall complete an amended certificate declaring the results of the election no later than the fifth day after the completion of the recount. (b) For coordinated city elections (which are not administered by the City), the election shall be determined and certified and any tie vote or recount shall be administered, as provided in the applicable state law. . . . Section 10. Validity of City-administered elections. No Ccity-administered election shall be invalidated if it has been conducted fairly and in substantial conformity with the requirements of this Charter. . . . Section 3. That the following ballot title, with its title and submission clause, is hereby adopted for submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. to the voters at the November Election: CITY-INITIATED PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. ___ (November Elections) -5- Shall Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, regarding the conduct of City elections, be amended to: • make the regular city election date the first Tuesday in November of every odd- numbered year, instead of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April of every odd-numbered year; • transition to the new election schedule by extending the current term of the Mayor and of each Councilmember from April to November of the appropriate odd-numbered year, without altering the number of terms each may serve; • allow for coordinated elections to be conducted by the County Clerk and Recorder and clarify the applicable law for coordinated elections; • allow Council to adjust the time frame for candidate nominations and withdrawals up to 180 days prior to an election; and • make minor conforming edits; and shall Article II of the Charter, regarding membership, terms and organization of the City Council, be amended to provide that City officers elected in a November election shall be sworn in and take office, and a Mayor Pro Tem shall be elected, at a special Council meeting on the second Tuesday of January after such election? Yes/For No/Against Section 4. That pursuant to Section 31-2-210(4) of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the City Clerk is directed to publish in the Coloradoan a notice of the City’s November 8, 2022, special election coordinated with Larimer County and to include in that notice the full text of the proposed amendments to Charter Article II and Article VIII as stated in this Ordinance. Such notice is to be published within thirty (30) days of the adoption of this Ordinance and not less than sixty (60) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days before said election. Introduced, considered favorably on first reading and ordered published this 21st day of June, A.D. 2022, and to be presented for final passage on the 5th day of July, A.D. 2022. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Passed and adopted on final reading this 5th day of July, A.D. 2022. Mayor -6- ATTEST: City Clerk