Election day is tomorrow, so drop off your ballot today!

Tomorrow (November 7) is Election Day, and in order for your vote to count the Jeffco Elections office must RECEIVE your ballot by 7 pm. That means it is too late to mail your ballot, but you can still DROP IT OFF to a secure ballot box. Drop boxes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until 7 pm. Jeffco has dozens of ballot boxes throughout the county, which means dropping off your ballot is easier than ever!

In order to avoid long lines and ensure your ballot gets in on time, I recommend dropping off your ballot today. Click HERE for a list of drop-off sites and voter service centers near you. If you prefer to vote in-person, you can still do so at a Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC). VSPCs are places you can vote in-person, register to vote, update your voter registration, replace a ballot or drop off your ballot, and/or use an ADA-accessible voting machine. To view a list of the six VSPCs in Jeffco, click HERE.

Let's do our civic duty and get those ballots in. Vote today!

Election Resources: Voting is very easy (and safe) to do in Colorado. We have one of the best election systems in the nation, with plenty of ways to participate.

The first step is to make sure you are registered to vote. You can do that by going to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Voter web page. There you can register to vote, check or update your registration, and find more helpful information for military or overseas voting.

You can also sign up for BallotTrax to receive an email, text, or phone update on the status of your ballot as well.

Finally, you can vote by mail by simply dropping your ballot in the mail using a regular postage stamp. Or, you can vote early and in person at a Voter Service Center. To find your closest 24-hour drop box or in-person vote center in Jefferson County, click HERE. For VSC and dropbox locations in Adams County, click HERE.

Proposition HH: It’s no secret that property values in Colorado have skyrocketed in the last few years, which has resulted in very sudden and big increases in property taxes. In fact, the average homeowner in Colorado is experiencing a 40% increase in their tax bill this year alone. This is going to be especially harmful for low income families, seniors, and renters who will see higher rents.

Proposition HH will help address these issues. If you are still undecided about Proposition HH, I recommend this video explainer on the measure:

If you don't have time for the video, here is my quick summary: Proposition HH is a referred measure that will decrease the residential assessment rate for homes and businesses and reduces the portion of a home that is taxed by $50,000 in 2023 and $40,000 moving forward. Here's how it works:

• Property Owners: Prop HH reduces the assessment rates for all properties–residential, commercial, agriculture, etc. The residential rate will go from 7.2% to 6.7% and commercial will go from 29% to 25.9%. It also provides a $50,000 deduction for homeowners in the first year and $40,000 each year thereafter.
• Seniors: Prop HH allows seniors who are eligible for the Senior Homestead Tax Exemption to move to a new home and continue receiving the tax exemption. Currently, if a senior moves, they lose the tax benefit and they must wait another 10 years to become eligible again. The program will now become portable--meaning, you can still be in the program regardless if the senior moves.
• Renters: In addition to avoiding the tax increases that their landlord will pass onto them in the form of increased rent, Prop HH also dedicates $20 million each year for rental assistance.
• The Future: Lastly, the measure caps future tax increases by implementing a property tax growth cap. If revenues are projected to exceed the rate of inflation, the district must reduce its tax rates. If they want to retain any of the surplus revenue, they must conduct a public process to do so.

Under Proposition HH, taxpayers will still receive an increased TABOR refund of $898 in 2023. In 2024, the impact to the average taxpayer’s TABOR refund will be only $48—much less than the average $600 savings in property taxes. Taxpayers are expected to continue receiving $1 billion in refunds each year, even if Proposition HH passes. The math shows that the tax relief benefits to taxpayers are much higher than any reduction in refunds. For more information, here is a link to the Colorado Blue Book, as well as the Proposition HH Calculation Tool.

Proposition II: In 2020, Colorado’s legislature referred Proposition EE to the voters to increase existing taxes on tobacco and institute a new tax on other nicotine products. The voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition EE, generating approximately $275 million per year for public health and education priorities, in particular, universal preschool. The problem is that Proposition EE is bringing in more revenue than was estimated in the Blue Book revenue analysis in 2020. Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) requires that voters approve the state’s retention of the excess revenue. 

If Proposition ii doesn’t pass, Colorado will have to immediately refund the $23.65 million to tobacco wholesalers and distributors, and then reduce the tax rate going forward. By voting YES on Prop II, we can respect the voters' intent and retain the $23.65 million for universal preschool. For more information, here is a link to the Colorado Blue Book, as well as a Voter Guide by Chalkbeat Colorado.

Election Forums & Guides: If you are still looking for information about the candidates or the statewide ballot measures, here are a couple of options:

• Meet the Westminster City Council Candidates: The City of Westminster produced a series short videos where the candidates for Westminster City Council were able to introduce themselves. To view the videos, click HERE.
• Meet the Arvada City Council Candidates: The City of Arvada website contains information on all the candidates running for Arvada City Council. To view the candidate information, click HERE.
• Jeffco School Board Candidate Forum: On September 26, 2023 the Jeffco PTA hosted a candidate forum for candidates running for the Jeffco School Board. You can view that forum HERE.
• Chalkbeat Colorado has written a handy voter guide titled "Everything you need to know about voting in Colorado’s 2023 elections."
• The Colorado Sun produced their annual voter guide called "Election 2023 ballots are in the mail. Here’s what Coloradans need to know to cast their vote."

Endorsement of Lauren Simpson for Arvada Mayor: I am very pleased to have endorsed Lauren Simpson for Mayor of Arvada. Lauren has been a champion on City Council for creating safe and inviting spaces that everyone in our community can enjoy. I believe Lauren is the type of person who leads by example, by being visible in the community and giving back. She works to protect and preserve green spaces, parks and trails that make Arvada beautiful. And, Lauren is a champion for diverse housing solutions. I believe Lauren is exactly the kind of candidate that will help move Arvada forward, and I invite you to join my in supporting her. For more information, go to LaurenforArvada.com.

Endorsement of Sharon Davis for Arvada City Council At-Large: Sharon Davis is a new and bright star running for Arvada City Council. Even though this is Sharon's first time running for office, she will be an excellent addition. Sharon's professional background in local government work and as a volunteer for many city-appointed committees, makes her exceptionally qualified. She is a very pragmatic person and a critical thinker. She is a collaborative, consensus builder that will serve her role on the Council well. And, Sharon has a postiive vision for the future of Arvada. To learn more about Sharon Davis, go to SharonforArvada.com.

Reminder: No Legislative Town Hall Meeting in November



Just a quick reminder that we will resume our Legislative Town Hall events in January 2024. We will not meet for the months of November or December. Please mark your calendar now for January 20, 2024 for our first town hall of the new session. We will provide the community a session preview. For more information, click HERE.

2023 Colorado Chamber Recognizes 15 Legislators as MVPs of the 2023 Legislative Session

2023 "Colorado Chamber MVP" from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce. Pictured right: Members of the Chamber and Sen. Zenzinger "Going to bat" for Colorado business.

2023 “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Economic Development Council of Colorado

2023 “Common Sense in the Courtroom” from the Colorado Civil Justice League

2023 “Legislator of the Year” from the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented

2023 “Walking Stick Award” from CAMES Colorado Association of Medical Equipment Services

2023 “Education Policy Leader Award” from the Colorado Association of School Executives

2023 “Legislative Hero Award” from the Colorado Municipal League

2023 “Meritorious Service Award” from the Colorado BOCES Association

November 2, 2023 Colorado Public Radio: Colorado to fully fund public schools for first time in 14 years

October 30, 2023 The Longmont Leader: $35M in infrastructure, environment funds awarded across Colorado

October 29, 2023 The Denver Post: After universal preschool's launch, how will Colorado resolve problems facing parents and schools?

October 27, 2023 KUNC Colorado makes some progress on adult education amid a lack of funding, legislative ‘oversight’

October 24, 2023 Colorado Public Radio: The unlikely affiliation between universal pre-K and nicotine taxes is a story of politics and tobacco money

October 13, 2023 Chalkbeat Colorado: Jeffco board votes to close two more schools amid enrollment decline