Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Colorado Springs, CO —Today, the Leagues of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado, and the United States issued the following statement in response to the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, CO:

The League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region (LWVPPR), League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO), and League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) grieve the senseless tragedy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, late Saturday night, when a man shot and killed five people and injured at least 19 at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub.

LWVPPR, LWVCO and LWVUS stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in mourning those killed or injured and grieve with their families, friends, and the entire Colorado Springs community. In times like these, we look to each other for the compassion, strength, and resilience necessary to heal from this horrific event.

“LWVPPR is committed to building a stronger, healthier culture of acceptance that begins with focusing on our local community, continually speaking up against discriminatory campaigns with anti-gay or anti-trans rhetoric, and taking decisive action when necessary,” said LWVPPR spokeperson Shelly Roehrs. “Hate doesn’t belong in a free society. True freedom is based on acceptance, equity, and respect for all. This is what we strive for and what we believe the United States of America should represent.”

LWV, LWVCO and LWVPPR continue to work for common sense gun safety legislation at the local, state, and federal levels to allow all people to live safely and with confidence in their personal and community spaces. For more information on LWV gun safety positions, click here.

We encourage our League membership and the general public to reach out to those affected by this cowardly act of hate and to our LGBTQ+ partners Inside Out Youth Services (insideoutys.org), One Colorado (one-colorado.org) and The Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org) to show your support.

For questions regarding this statement please contact: Shelly Roehrs, LWVPPR Spokesperson, 719-447-9400, lwvppr@gmail.com

League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region is hiring!

LWVPPR is seeking a part-time assistant to assist with communication and administrative tasks. Check out the full job description here.

Send resume, cover letter, and references to LWVPPR@gmail, or

LWVPPR

PO Box 7888

Colorado Springs, CO 80933

Application deadline is November 29, 2022.

More details are available in the LWVPPR Admin Assistant Job Description.

Election_Law_Clinic_at_Harvard_Law_School_Files_Lawsuit_on_Behalf_of_Civic_Engagement_Organizations_Challenging_the_Timing_of_Off-Cycle_Municipal_Elections_in_Colorado_Springs.png

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

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.