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Citizens Project was approached by Harvard Election Law Clinic to engage as a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the timing of off-cycle elections in Colorado Springs. For 30 years, Citizens Project has always been an advocate for equity and fairness regarding voting rights. This lawsuit directly addresses, using historical data, the inequity that exists in holding municipal elections in April. The practice directly and disproportionately impacts specific demographics within our community.
Mike Williams, Executive Director, Citizens Project
“Realistically, ongoing and historical discrimination makes it like much harder for non-white residents to participate in elections,” Williams said. “Our hope with this is to make sure that the people of the city’s voices are heard and they’re able to vote and access the elections fairly as they should be able to.”
The lawsuit says only about 16 percent of the city’s non-white registered voters participate in April off-year elections. The turnout rate for white voters is 32 percent. The number of non-white voters casting ballots jumps to an average of about 64 percent during elections held in November of even-numbered years.
“The city’s saying they don’t want the city election to be buried in a November election, but I think that people are going to turn up and vote in November, generally speaking,” Williams said. “It just would make sense for the city to capitalize on that and have all those voters really be heard at the same time.”
READ MORE at KKRC
Citizens Project will continue to update as the lawsuit unfolds
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