Denver City Council Rejects Ranked-Choice Voting, Advances At-Large Election Change

The Denver City Council narrowly rejected a proposal to implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) in city elections, with a 7-6 vote, meaning the measure will not appear on the November ballot. RCV would have allowed voters to rank up to six candidates, with votes redistributed until a candidate achieves a majority, a system already used in several other Colorado cities. Despite the setback for RCV advocates, the council advanced a separate measure to change the election process for Denver's two at-large council members. This measure would split the at-large seats into two separate races, requiring winners to secure a majority rather than a plurality, aligning with how other citywide officials are elected. Proponents argue this will increase accountability and reduce undervoting, while opponents, including the affected council members, criticized the change as divisive. The at-large election reform will face a final vote before potentially going to Denver voters in November.