The Estes Valley Voice 2024 Voter Guide is a non-partisan, unbiased look at who and what is on your ballot. We have published information about some of the ballot initiatives and we will provide additional analysis of additional ballot questions. As we do, we will update the voter guide with links to articles and Letters to the Editor that we publish. For example see the links to an article, an opinion editorial, and a Letter to the Editor on the ballot question about ranked voting.
We welcome your Letters to the Editor (under 300 words) or longer opinion editorials (700-900 words) about the issues you support or are concerned about in this election. Please send them to news@estesvalleyvoice.com. We reserve the right to edit for context, spelling, and formatting. We encourage civility in discourse.
If you have questions about registering to vote, or you do not receive a ballot, or you have a question or a problem, click here to read a Frequently Asked Questions list on website of the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Office. You can also contact the clerk’s office at:
200 W Oak St, Suite 5100, Fort Collins, Colo., 80521
PO Box 1547, Fort Collins CO 80522 HOURS: 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday (except holidays)
EMAIL: elections@larimer.gov
PHONE: (970) 498-7820 | FAX: (970) 498-7847
You can also visit the Colorado Secretary of State Go Vote Colorado page for information about how to register to vote on line, or register with a paper application which you can print and return to the Larimer County Election Office at the address above or to the Colorado Department of State, Elections Division, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550 Denver, CO 80290. You an also view or update your voter record, track or cure your ballot, and find other Colorado election information.
Important dates according to the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder’s Office website
- October 11, 2024: Ballots begin being mailed out to every active, registered, domestic voter.
- October 21, 2024: Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPCs) begin to open in waves. you
- At a VSPC, voters can: vote in-person, obtain a replacement mail ballot, deliver your voted mail ballot, register to vote, change your address, or vote on an ADA accessible voting machine.
- As of this date, in-house ballot issuance will no longer be available at the Elections Office.
- October 28, 2024: The last day the County Clerk’s Office can mail a replacement ballot.
- November 5, 2024: Election Day.
- Polls open at 7 a.m. MST and close at 7 p.m. MST.
- The County Clerk’s Office must receive ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count as a received date.
- First results are expected by 9 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. MST on Nov. 5.
- November 13, 2024: Deadline for voters to cure mail ballots with signature discrepancies, missing signatures, or missing IDs (for ID required mail ballots).
What districts do you live in?
If you live in the Estes Valley and your zip code is 80517, you live in:
- United States House of Representatives District 2
- Colorado State Senate District 15
- Colorado House of Representatives District 49
- Colorado Judicial District 8
- Larimer County Board of County Commissioners District 3
The Offices and Candidates
The Estes Valley Voice Voter Guide provides information about the duties and responsibilities of the offices that are on the ballot. We have provided information about what the job is for each office, and how much the job pays, and how long the term of office is.
We have provided information about who the candidates are, and if the candidate is an incumbent, and if so, how long they have served in the office.
Offices on your ballot:
In the Estes Valley area, registered voters who live and vote in the 80517 zip code area will see the following candidates on their 2024 ballots:
Federal Offices:
President and Vice President
There are eight candidate pairs running for the federal office of President and Vice President. The candidates and the parties they represent are:
- Kamala Harris / Tim Walz (Democratic)
- Donald Trump / J.D. Vance (Republican)
- Blake Huber / Andrea Denault (Approval Voting)
- Chase Russell Oliver / Mike ter Maat (Libertarian)
- Jill Stein / Rudolph Ware (Green)
- Randall Terry / Stephen E. Broden (American Constitution)
- Cornel West / Melina Abdullah (Unity)
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. / Nicole Shanahan (Unaffiliated)*
[The President and VIce President are elected to a four-year term of office. A person elected to the office of the presidency can only serve two four-year terms. As of January 2024, the salary of the President of the United States is $400,000 per year, paid monthly. The President also receives an expense allowance of $50,000 per year to help with expenses related to their official duties. The salary of the Vice President for 2024 is $284,600. However, as a result of a pay freeze in effect since 2019, the Vice-President is paid only $235,100.]
* Kennedy and Shanahan suspended their campaign on Aug. 23, 2024.
Representative to the 119th United States Congress – District 2
There are five candidates running for the federal office of U.S.Representative. The candidates and the parties they represent are:
- Joe Neguse (Democratic) {incumbent, in office since 2018}
- Marshall Dawson (Republican)
- Cynthia Munhos de Aquino Sirianni (Unity)
- Jan Kok (Approval Voting)
- Gaylon Kent (Libertarian)
[Representatives to Congress are elected to serve a two year term. People elected to serve as a Representative are not “term limited,” meaning they can run for and serve multiple terms of office. The salary of a U.S. Representative is $174,000. This salary has remained unchanged since 2009. Members of Congress who hold leadership positions receive a higher salary. For example, the Speaker of the House earns $223,500, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House earn $193,400.
In 2024, voters in Colorado will not vote for candidates for the U.S. Senate. Centennial State voters will not select a U.S. Senator again until 2026. Each state elects two people to serve in the Senate. Senators serve for terms of six years, and individuals are not “term limited.” Currently Colorado’s two U.S. Senators are John Hickenlooper, who was elected in 2020, and Michael F. Bennet, who was first elected in 2010 and was reelected in 2016 and again in 2022. The salary for a U.S. Senator is the same as for a U.S. Representative, $174,000. Senators that hold leadership positions receive a higher salary. For example, the Senate President Pro Tempore, and both the Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader earn $193,400.]
State Offices
State Board of Education Member – Congressional District 2
There is only one candidate running for the State Board of Education in Congressional District 2
- Kathy Gebhardt (Democrat)
[Individuals elected to the State Board of Education are elected to a six-year term. The board has nine voting members, representing the state’s congressional districts. Members of the State Board of Education serve without pay.]
Regent of the University of Colorado – At Large
There are four candidates running for a seat on the Board of Regents at the University of Colorado:
- Eric Rinard (Republican)
- Elliott Hood (Democratic)
- Thomas Reasoner (Approval Voting)
- T.J. Cole (Unity)
[There are nine seats on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. Members serve staggered six-year terms, and are elected from each of the state’s eight congressional districts. One member is elected from the state at large. Individuals are limited to two terms. According to the Constitution of the State of Colorado, the Board of Regents is the governing body of the University of Colorado System. The salary of a member of the Board of Regents is $53,909. The University of Colorado System has 66,000 students, 7,300 full-time instructional faculty members, and an annual budget of $6.28 billion, generating an economic impact of $17.2 billion annually for the state.]
State Representative – District 49
There are two candidates:
- Steve Ferrante (Republican)
- Lesley Smith (Democrat)
[In Colorado, the state’s legislative body is called the General Assembly. The General Assembly convenes each year from January until May for up to and no more than 120 days. There are 100 elected members that serve in the State Legislature 65 representatives, one from each of the state’s 65 House districts, and 35 senators, one from each of the state’s 35 senate districts. Each House district has approximately 88,800 citizens and each Senate district has approximately 123,000 citizens.
State Representatives are elected to two-year terms, and may serve a total of four consecutive terms. Beginning in January 2025, the salary for a Colorado State Representative will be $47,561.
Voters in the Estes Valley live in State Senate District 15. Voters in Senate District 15 will not be voting on a State Senate race in 2024. The next State Senate election in District 15 will occur in 2026.]
Judicial District 8
District Attorney
There are two candidates:
- Gordon McLaughlin (Democrat) {incumbent, in office since January 2021}
- Dawn Lynn Downs (Unaffiliated)
[A district attorney (D.A.) prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the state government. A Colorado D.A. typically decides whether to file charges directly under Colorado’s criminal code or convene a grand jury to issue an indictment in cases ranging from DUIs to violent crimes.To be eligible to run for district attorney in Colorado, candidates must meet the same qualifications of district court judges. They must have been licensed to practice law in Colorado for at least five years, be a qualified elector of the judicial district at the time of their election or appointment, and reside in the judicial district throughout their term in office. According to Colorado statute, and effective July 1, 2026, the minimum compensation for a district attorney must match the compensation of a full-time district court judge.]
County Offices – Larimer County
County Commissioner – District 3
There are two candidates
- Jody Shadduck-McNally (Democrat) {incumbent, in office since 2020}
- Ben “Uncle Benny” Aste (Republican)
[Larimer County’s three-member Board of County Commissioners is the main policy-making body in the County and works to represent the interest of the citizens of Larimer County at local, state and national levels. Commissioners are elected at large from one of three geographic districts for four-year staggered terms. Commissioners for Larimer County earn $150,991 per year in 2024 and 2025.]
County Clerk and Recorder
The Clerk and Recorder office oversees three departments: Elections, Recording, and Vehicle Licensing.
There are two candidates
- Tina Harris (Republican) {incumbent}
- Wyatt Schwendeman-Curtis (Democrat)
[The Larimer County Clerk and Recorder serves a four-year term and is eligible to serve three terms. She or he earns a $150,991 annual salary in 2024 and 2025.]
Additional Questions on Your Ballot
Voters will see several judicial retention questions on their ballot. These questions ask you if three justices of the Colorado Supreme Court, five judges on the Colorado Court of Appeals, two District Court Judges in the Judicial District 8, and two Larimer County Court Judges should be retained.
You will also see questions asking whether certain amendments to the Colorado State Constitution should be approved and whether certain statutory propositions should be adopted.
Larimer County voters are also being asked a local ballot question: a new .15% county sales tax (increasing the county portion of sales taxes from 2.9% to 2.915%) to fund transportation infrastructure improvements and maintenance. If enacted, the tax is to be effective for 15 years from January 1, 2025 through January 31, 2039.
This year you will not see candidates for United State Senate or, in the Estes Valley, for the State Senate (you live in State Senate District 15) on your ballot. Those offices are not on the election ballot this year.
Judicial Retention
Colorado Supreme Court Justices
- Shall Justice Maria E. Berkenkotter of the Colorado Supreme Court be retained in office?
[Justice Berkenkotter was appointed to the state supreme court by Gov. Jared Polis on Jan. 1, 2021. She was a district judge in the 20th Judicial District from 2013-2017 and worked in the attorney general’s office from 1988-2006.]
- Shall Justice Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court be retained in office?
[Justice Boatright has served on the state supreme court since Nov. 2011. He was a district court judge in Jefferson County between 1999-2011. Boatright served as chief justice from 2021-2024.]
- Shall Justice Monica M. Márquez of the Colorado Supreme Court be retained in office?
[Chief Justice Márquez was appointed to the state supreme court by Gov. Bill Ritter in 2010. She was an assistant attorney general for eight years before that. Márquez became chief justice in July 2024.]
Colorado Court of Appeals Judges
- Shall Judge Stephanie Dunn of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?
[Judge Dunn is the liaison to the 8th Judicial District. She was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals in June 2012. Before joining the bench, she was a partner at the Denver office of Perkins Coie LLP, where she practiced in state and federal courts. Dunn currently serves on multiple working committees within the Colorado Court of Appeals.]
- Shall Judge Jerry N. Jones of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?
[Judge Jones is the liaison to the 7th Judicial District. He served as the Chief of the Appellate Division and was a partner in the firm of Moye Giles LLP in Denver.]
- Shall Judge W. Eric Kuhn of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?
[Judge Kuhn is the liaison to the 6th Judicial District. He was a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and worked in both private and public law practice.]
- Shall Judge Gilbert M. Román of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?
[Judge Román is the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the liaison to the 9th Judicial District. He served as Deputy Chief Judge and is a member and former trustee of the Denver Bar Association. Román is also a board member of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and the Hispanic National Bar Association.]
- Shall Judge Timothy J. Schutz of the Colorado Court of Appeals be retained in office?
[Judge Schutz is the liaison to the 22nd Judicial District was appointed to the El Paso County District Court bench by Gov. Ritter on Nov. 1, 2010 and to the Colorado Court of Appeals by Gov. Jared Polis in 2021.]
Ballot Questions
Legislatively referred measures. The Colorado General Assembly may refer constitutional measures to the voters with a two-thirds vote of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and may refer statutory measures to the voters with a majority vote of both chambers.
Ballot measures referred by the legislature to voters are denominated by letters. Ballot measures with a single letter are constitutional measures and ballot measures with a double letter are statutory measures.
Citizen-initiated measures. Any Colorado resident may place a constitutional or statutory measure on the ballot. To place a measure on the ballot, proponents must collect the number of signatures equal to five percent of the total number of votes cast for the office of Secretary of State at the previous general election. Additionally, to place a constitutional measure on the ballot, at least two percent of registered voters’ signatures in each of the state’s 35 senate districts are required.
Citizen-initiated measures are denominated by numbers. Measures that are designated with a number less than 100 are constitutional measures. If passed by the voters, these measures would make changes to the State’s Constitution.
Measures designated with a number greater than 100 are statutory measures If passed, these measures would make changes to the Colorado Revised Statutes, which are the enacted,and codified laws of Colorado.
Voters in Colorado will have seven Colorado State Constitution Ballot questions on which to vote “yes” or “no”: G, H, I, J, K, 79, and 80.
Voters will also have seven Colorado Statutory ballot questions on which to vote “yes” or “no: JJ. KK, 127, 128, 129, 130, and 131.
Percentage of votes is needed for passage. Constitutional measures (other than a repeal of a part of the State’s Constitution) require 55% of votes cast. Constitutional repeal measures and all statutory measures require a simple majority, or 51%, of all votes cast.
An examination of each ballot question:
Colorado State Constitution Ballot Questions
G – Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans with Disabilities – extends the property tax exemption (50% off the first $200,000 in value) to veterans without a service connected disability with less than 100% disability but who are unemployable. Currently, the homestead exemption is limited to veterans with a service-related disability rated as 100%.
H – Modify Judicial Discipline Procedures – establishes a new independent judicial discipline board made up of citizens, lawyers, and judges and allows information to be shared with the public earlier. The board would conduct disciplinary hearings and also hear appeals of sanctions handed down by the Commission on Judicial Discipline. (Read the EVV article on Ballot Question H.)
* Note: This is a compromise agreement reached by the legislature and the judicial branch
I – Bail Exception for First Degree Murder – allows judges to deny bail to people charged with first-degree murder. This proposed change to the state’s constitution is a result of the repeal of the death penalty in Colorado in 2020 and a Colorado Supreme Court ruling in 2023. The state constitution says that only people charged with “capital offenses” can be denied bail. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that without capital punishment, first degree murder no longer meets the criteria for the denial of bail.
J – Repeal the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution – repeals the state’s constitutional definition that marriage is between one man and one woman. The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the United States nine years ago, however the state constitution still contains language that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
K – Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines – accelerates the deadlines for certain election filings, including citizen initiative petitions, by one week. The change would also apply to the Declaration of Intent that judges and justices must file if they seek to run for retention. The measure will also require nonpartisan research staff to publish the official text and titles of ballot measures a month earlier. The purpose is to provide the Secretary of State and county clerks more time to finalize the content of ballots before they have to be printed and sent to voters.
79 – Constitutional Right to Abortion – creates a constitutional right to an abortion, prohibits state and local governments from denying, impeding or discriminating against the exercise of that right, and repeals the current ban on taxpayer funding for abortion services that voters approved 40 years ago.
80 – Constitutional Right to School Choice – provides constitutional right to K12 school choice, including public and private schools, charter schools, neighborhood schools, open enrollment option, “future innovations in education,” and homeschooling.
Colorado Statutory Ballot Questions
JJ – Retain Excess Sports Betting Tax Revenue – permits retention of revenues from sports betting above the $29 million limits approved by voters in 2019. The excess funds would be used for water conservation and protection projects.
KK – Firearm and Ammunition Excise tax – creates a new 6.5% excise tax on the sale of firearms, gun parts, and ammunition and dedicates the revenue to fund mental health services and prevention and support services for victims of violent crimes.
127 – Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx and Mountain Lion Hunting – makes it illegal to hunt or trap bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions, with certain exceptions. As a population management effort cats could killed by state or federal employees with state permission, and ranchers could kill cats to prevent livestock depredation. (Read the EVV article on Prop. 127.)
128 – Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence – increases the required percentage of time served from 75% to 85% to be eligible for parole in cases of certain violent crimes including murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, and serious cases of assault, kidnapping, arson and burglary.
129 – Establish Veterinary Professional Associates – creates a new “veterinary professional associate” profession. A VPA would have a master’s degree in veterinary care and could diagnose animals, perform routine surgeries, and order and perform tests and procedures under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The purpose of the new regulated profession is to address the shortage of affordable veterinary care.
130 – Funding for Law Enforcement – directs legislature to fund $350 million to a peace officer training and support fund and a death benefit for peace officers killed in the line of duty. The fund would provide a million dollar death benefit to the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and provide grants to local law enforcement departments to boost hiring and retention, increase pay, and expand training opportunities.
131 – Establish All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Voting General Elections – replaces partisan primaries with all-candidate primaries for certain federal and state offices and provides for a ranked voting system for general elections. [Read the Estes Valley Voice article on ranked voting and read an opinion editorial by a reader and a Letter to the Editor by an Estes Valley Voice reader].
Larimer County Ballot Issue
The Larimer County Clerk and Recorder mails a Notice of Election, which includes a discussion of 2024 local ballot initiatives, to all registered voters. Voters in the Estes Valley will have the opportunity to approve or reject a new tax.
1A
Shall Larimer County taxes be increased $17,200,000 annually (estimated first fiscal year dollar increase in 2025), and by whatever additional amount as may be raised annually thereafter, for a period of 15 years by imposing a 0.15% (15 cents on 100 dollars) countywide transportation sales and use tax for improving roadway, bridge, and intersection safety, such as pedestrian crossing, signage and signaling, lane improvements, and bicycle traffic improvements; improving resilience of transportation infrastructure against natural disasters; repairing, replacing, improving, maintaining, and constructing roads, bridges, sidewalks, bicycle lanes and paths, and other transportation infrastructure; improving travel corridors between communities in Larimer County for safer and more efficient commuting, recreating, and delivery of goods and services; supporting increased access to community transit services and other mobility options; and shall the county be authorized to collect, retain and spend all proceeds of such tax without limitation by article x, section 20 of the Colorado Constitution?
Thank you for this. It provides more information on races than the Blue Book that we received. It really helps to be informed.