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Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.


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League's online voter guide is live!


Check VOTE411.org  for our Q&A with candidates and information on the trails, open space and parks ballot question! 
 
Find our recorded forums on our YouTube channel!

Listen to interviews with 23 of the 25 mayoral and city council candidates on our Making Democracy Work podcast page or use the individual candidate links below.



 

Interviews with Candidates 


LWVPPR's Spokesperson Shelly Roehrs and Sixty35 Media's Bryan Grossman invited all candidates for Colorado Springs mayor and city council. Most responded! Check out the links below for the interviews, shared out in League's Making Democracy Work podcast!

Podcast interview note: Mayoral candidate Jim Miller and City Council at-large candidate Jay Inman chose not to take part in the interviews. 

Why should Gen Z vote in local elections?




Congratulations to Caitlin McCrady for her Gen Z video contest winning entry! 

Watch and share the video!


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Why should Gen Z vote in elections?


LWVPPR plans to run another video contest in fall 2023.

Watch for more information this summer!

Spring 2023 GenZVotes! Contest - Donate and help us continue this exciting and diverse initiative! Thank you to Peg Henjum, McDivitt Law Firm, and Colorado Latinos Vote for co-sponsoring the GenZ video contest and helping spread the word about the importance of the youth vote!

Pikes Peak Women, Wine, Women & Chocolate 2023

League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region is now a 501(c)(3) organization.


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On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School filed suit on behalf of Citizens Project, Colorado Latinos Vote, the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region and the Black/Latino Leadership Coalition, challenging the City of Colorado Springs' choice to hold elections for City Council and Mayor in April of odd-numbered years. Our lawsuit calls for City Council elections to be held in November.

 

We filed a lawsuit because we believe the timing of our municipal elections violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act is designed to allow people to challenge election policies that discriminate - intentionally or not - against minority communities. Throughout history, non-white residents of Colorado Springs have been excluded from the political process through discriminatory voting schemes. The impact of that is still felt today. Non-white community members experience greater rates of poverty, police brutality and vast education disparities. In part because of these factors, the voter turnout of non-white voters in Colorado Springs is lower across all city, state and federal elections. This difference in voter participation is known as a "racial disparity".

 

Colorado Springs' April municipal election timing impacts non-white voter turnout far more than it impacts white voter turnout and poses a discriminatory burden on people of color. Election practices that pose a discriminatory burden to people of color are prohibited by the Voting Rights Act even if the City Council had no intention of discriminating. Non-white, registered voters are only half as likely as white registered voters to vote in the April election. This turnout gap closes dramatically for November elections.

 

The practice of holding elections in April leads to a government that is less accountable to communities of color, who are far underrepresented in City government. Over the last decade, more than 90% of the successful candidates for City Council and Mayor were white. Not a single Hispanic or Black resident has prevailed in at-large City Council elections. By depressing minority turnout, the odd timing of elections makes it harder for minority communities to elect candidates that are responsive to their needs.

 

There is no good reason for Colorado Springs to hold elections in April. Only 3 of the 25 most populous Colorado cities hold elections in April; the vast majority hold elections in November. Holding elections in April saves the city no time, money or work. For groups like ours, by moving spring elections to the fall, our volunteer time and work can be better focused on November elections. 

 

At the end of the day, we want the Court to prevent Colorado Springs from holding non-November elections in the future. Holding elections in November will Make Democracy Work better for everyone in Colorado Springs. It will make a City government more responsive to everyone and especially the communities who have been shut out in the past.

 

We have posted the lawsuit on our website under Documents so please take a look when you have a moment. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. 

 

Thank you for your support and dedication!!


Sincerely,

Shelly Roehrs, Spokesperson

League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region

LWVPPR and fellow plaintiffs in the election timing lawsuit against Colorado Springs have an OpEd further addressing the issues with election timing. Check it out here!

Check out our informative Election Timing Handout to learn more about Colorado Springs' voter turnout, read answers to some "frequently asked questions," and get a brief description of why four organizations are suing the city about election timing.


Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events


Celebrating & Honoring Women,

The Right to Vote

& The Continued Path To Equity!

Learn About League's

Mural Wallscape Project


Check out at Women's Equity Mural at William J. Palmer High School


301 N. Nevada in Downtown Colorado Springs


Take a picture with the Mural and tag us using:


#LWVPPR



Making Democracy Work Podcast


League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region is excited to announce the podcast debut of Making Democracy Work. Making Democracy Work is available on Studio809podcasts.com or any platform that has podcasts available. Spokesperson for the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, Shelly Roehrs, asks questions and provides information to help voters and community members be more active and engaged citizens. 


Making Democracy Work, previously found under Peak Town Square on Studio809podcasts.com, has tackled subjects like election fraud, the 2020 election, getting more involved in your community, the January 6th insurrection, diversity within the League, and politics in general. As Making Democracy Work enters a new era, we will continue those discussions and discuss much more with experts to walk us through challenging and interesting topics. 


Join us as we look for better ways to make democracy work. To download the first episode, go to Studio809Podcasts.com, Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast is produced by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region (LWVPPR) and made possible through the generous support of Shelly Roehrs, real estate agent at Blue Picket Realty.



LWV Empowers Voters

League of Women Voters emphasizes the   power of the voter to create a moreperfect democracy.

LWV Advocates

League encourages active participation in democracy, whether it's in the office of an elected representative or at a rally.
Voter Education Crowd

LWV Educates

League informs voters about the issues and candidates on their ballot. Visit VOTE411.org, LWV's online voter guide.