Voting is more than a right; it’s a responsibility. When you make educated choices at the ballot box, you’re investing in your community and holding your leaders accountable.

That’s why, for the last 19 years, Citizens Project has produced nonpartisan publications and events for all local elections: to arm you with the information you need to make educated decisions that shape your community.

Thanks to the Pikes Peak Equality Coalition, collaborators, volunteers, donors, and readers like you, Citizens Project is proud to present our 2011 Freedom Watch Voter Guide for school board elections and city and state ballot measures. We hope you’ll use it to inform your decisions in the 2011 general election.

And if you’re still not sure, or if you haven’t received your ballot, check out our election page for all the information you need to make your voice heard.

The event, which was presented by Citizens Project, the Colorado Springs Independent, the Pikes Peak Equality Coalition, and Inside/Out Youth Services, was moderated by Joe Cole from Fox21 and featured media panelists Andrea Chalfin of KRCC and Ralph Routon of the Independent. Attendees heard from city-wide school board candidates, and Colorado Springs School District 11 Board hopefuls were out in full force. The audience also asked questions of Bob Lally, who presented on the Memorial Health System question, and Victor Mitchell and Mark Neuman-Lee, who discussed statewide ballot measure Proposition 103.

The forum format included traditional Q&A from media and audience members, and also encouraged candidates and advocates to think outside the box by handing them props and asking them to explain how they related to their campaign.

Citizens Project offers special thanks to the volunteers who made the event possible: Mel, Victoria, Kelly, Mark and Rob.

We thank our co-sponsors: 9to5, National Association of Working Women, ACLU, Artemis Women, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Freethinkers of Colorado Springs, League of Women Voters – Pikes Peak Region, NAACP Colorado Springs Branch, One Colorado, and Women’s Resource Agency

The City Charter requires a runoff election for the top two vote-getters in the event no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. These candidates are Richard Skorman and Steve Bach, who received 35.85% and 33.41%, respectively.

Steve Bach

Richard Skorman

Thus the battle begins. So far, the candidates have squared off at one debate, and there are more in the works before the May 17 election deadline.

So what will make the difference in the runoff election? YOU!

VOTE!

Voters who received a mail ballot for the April 5 election will also receive a mail ballot for the May 17 runoff. If you did not vote in the November 2010 election and have not updated your registration status with the City Clerk’s office, you are considered inactive and will not receive a mail ballot for the runoff election, unless you follow these simple steps:  

• Voters with no recent changes of name or address can go to the City Clerk’s Office, 30 S. Nevada Avenue, Suite 101, with identification, to request a mail ballot. An inactive voter ballot request document is also available for download at the City of Colorado Springs website. You may mail  or hand-deliver this request  at least a week prior to the election (if you’re mailing it, please allow adequate time for processing and mailing).
• Voters who have a name or address change must first get an updated Voter Registration form from one of the three El Paso County Election Offices. The downtown office is Centennial Hall, 200 S Cascade Avenue, open M-F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. You may then go to the City Clerk’s Office to request a mail ballot.

More information on the election process can be found on the City of Colorado Springs website.

YOUR OPTIONS:

If you haven’t yet decided who you will support for Colorado Springs Strong Mayor, here’s all the information you could want, and more:

Candidate websites:

http://www.stevebachmayor.com/

http://skorman4mayor.com/

Voter Guides (some include content for other candidates):

Citizens Project’s Freedom Watch Voter Guide

Colorado Springs Independent Voter Guide (includes endorsements)

Downtown Partnership Candidate Survey

The Gazette Voter Guide and Endorsements

Greater CS Chamber of Commerce Endorsements

Focus on the Family Candidate Survey

KRCC Voter Guide

Despite an overnight vote-counting hiatus, unofficial results are now available at the City Clerk’s website, and we have the skinny right here.

Citizens Project congratulates all the candidates on successful campaigns! Your newly elected City Council members include (in descending order of votes, then by district):
Jan Martin
Merv Bennett
Val Snider
Brandy Williams
Tim Leigh

Angela Dougan – District 2
Lisa Czelatdko – District 3

Ballot issues 1A and 1B also passed, creating new districts in 2013 and allowing the strong mayor to attend Council meetings.

However, one seat is still up for grabs. Who will be Colorado Springs’ first Strong Mayor in over 80 years? Regulations require a runoff election between the top two candidates in the event neither candidate secures more than 50% of the vote. That means that Colorado Springs will get to choose between candidates Steve Bach and Richard Skorman in another all-mail election on May 17, 2011.

So what’s next? Citizens Project is working on a supplemental voter guide for the runoff election, and we will hold an election forum for the two candidates on April 26, 2011. Details are below.

Decision 2011: Strong Mayor Debate

Presented by Citizens Project, the Colorado Springs Independent, and KRDO
Tuesday, April 26
6:30-8:00pm
Stargazers Theatre, 10 Parkside Dr, 80910
Free and open to the public, simulcast on krdo.com

Didn’t vote in the municipal election? You can still vote in the runoff! Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard!

• Check out KRCC’s Voting Guide, including audio of the debates
• Read John Hazlehurst’s recap of the Mayoral debate
• Watch a video about ”Reform Team’s” boycott of the City Council debate
• Check out Citizens Project’s Voter Guide

Citizens Project thanks our community sponsors and media panel: 9to5, National Association of Working Women – Colorado Chapter; Artemis Women; Colorado Springs Branch NAACP; Colorado Springs Independent; KRCC; League of Women Voters – Pikes Peak Region; Pikes Peak Equality Coalition; Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains; the Pride Center; The Gazette; and the Women’s Resource Agency

We invite you to check out our hot-off-the-presses Voter Guide to learn about the candidates and issues on the 2010 ballot. Get educated, and make your voice heard!

Decision 2010: Election Education Forum
Wednesday October 6, 2010, 5 – 7pm
Stargazers Theatre

Featuring County Commission District 5 Candidates Peggy Littleton and Mike Merrifield, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Candidates Tom Mowle and Wayne Williams, Fiscal Measures 60, 61, and 101, and the El Paso County Medical Marijuana issue.

Decision 2010: Election Education Forum
Tuesday October 19, 2010, 5 – 7pm
Stargazers Theatre

Featuring State Legislature Candidates Pete Lee and Karen Cullen, Ballot Measure 62, and the Colorado Springs strong mayor proposal.

We at Citizens Project hope that you’ll join us in educating the community about important issues and our local candidates before casting your vote on November 2!

Additional support for the Citizens Project/Colorado Springs Independent Election Education Forums provided by:

Citizens Project thanks our media panel: the Colorado Springs Business Journal, the Colorado Springs Independent, The Gazette, and KRCC.

That’s right!  Citizens Project staff and volunteers have been working day and night to bring you all the election information you could possibly want!

Start by reading our newest Freedom Watch Online, and don’t forget to check out our Voter Guide for the City of Colorado Springs and School Districts 11, 20 and 49, our candidate survey for School District 2, and our election information page!

Still have questions? Let us know!

2009 Election Info Page

gives you everything including the kitchen sink about this election in the Pikes Peak region: ballot measures, sample ballot, school board candidates, news articles, election forums, and more.