Proposition 131 Debate Scheduled for October 24, 2024

ELECTION COVERAGE Gazette October 20, ,2024

Debate on Proposition 131, Colorado’s ranked-choice Voting measure, to be held at Denver University

Thelma Grimes thelma.grimes@coloradopolitics. Com

The pros and cons of Proposition 131, which asks voters to completely upend Colorado’s election system through a ranked-choice voting system, will be debated in a special event at the University of Denver on Oct. 24.

Hosted by DU, Colorado Politics, and the Denver Gazette, the debate will feature Kent Thiry and Nick Troiao of Unite America , the proponents pushing to get the measure on the November ballot.

Jason Lupo, founder of First Choice Counts , and Candice Stutzriem, of the Truth and Liberty Coalition , will argue against Proposition 131.

Through Proposition 131 , voters will decide on ranked-choice voting, also called an instant runoff, where candidates are selected by order of preference. If a candidate receives 50% of first-preference votes, they win the race. If no candidate gets enough votes for the 50% threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated in a mathematical process until one candidate has enough votes. This YouTube video explains it.

Proposition 131 would apply to Colorado’s congressional races, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, state board of education, state board of regents, and state legislative contests. It would not apply to presidential or municipal races, such as county commissioners and district attorneys.

Thiry, a co-chair of the national organization Unite America, said that many voters’ voices are not being heard in the current election system, and a new ranked system for electing candidates would fix this.

Opponents, however, say the new system would be costly and confusing for voters.

Currently, 18 states in the U.S. allow ranked-choice voting in some form, with Hawaii, Alaska, and Maine using the system in federal and statewide elections.

States that currently prohibit ranked-choice voting are Florida, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Tennessee.

Also considering it this year are Oregon, Idaho, Missouri, and Nevada.

The Oct. 24 debate will begin at 7 p.m. at the Reiman Theatre in Margery Reed Hall, located on the DU campus at 2306 E. Evans Ave.

The debate is free and open to the public and will be live streamed here .