Broomfield, Colorado, Question 2A, Ranked-Choice Voting Measure (November 2021)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Broomfield Question 2A

Flag of Colorado.png

Election date

November 2, 2021

Topic
Local electoral systems
Status

ApprovedApproved

Type
Referral


Broomfield Question 2A was on the ballot as a referral in Broomfield on November 2, 2021. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported adopting ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections beginning in November 2023.

A "no" vote opposed adopting ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections.


Election results

Broomfield Question 2A

Result Votes Percentage

Approved Yes

12,069 51.90%
No 11,187 48.10%
Results are officially certified.
Source


Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 2A was as follows:

Shall Chapter 4-06 of the Municipal Code of the City and County of Broomfield be amended to add the following section:

4-06-020 - Voting Method.

The mayor and all councilmembers will be elected using a ranked voting method, as defined in Title 31 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, beginning with the November 7, 2023 municipal election and for all elections moving forward.


Background

Ranked-choice voting in Colorado

In June 2021, the Colorado Legislature passed and Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed House Bill 1071. HB 1071 "allows a municipality to refer a municipal election using instant runoff voting to be conducted as part of a coordinated election." It also requires the secretary of state to establish rules, requirements, and standards for the use of ranked-choice voting.[1]

The cities of Boulder, Basalt, Carbondale, and Telluride had enacted ranked-choice voting for at least certain elections as of 2021. Voters in Boulder approved a ranked-choice voting measure in 2020.

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures
Pages:
Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
History of RCV ballot measures
Electoral systems on the ballot
Local electoral systems on the ballot
Electoral systems by state
See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.

Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.

RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.

Local RCV ballot measures

See also: History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures

Between 1965 and October 2025, 80 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 59 jurisdictions in 19 states.

  • Ballotpedia has located 72 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 57 (79.2%) and rejected 15 (20.8%).
  • There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).
  • The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.
  • The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.


The following table shows the number of ranked-choice voting measures by policy direction.

Local ranked-choice vote measures by policy direction and outcome, 1965 - October 2025
DirectionTotalApprovedApproved (%)DefeatedDefeated (%)
Adopt RCV725779.2%1520.8%
Repeal RCV8450.0%450.0%
Total806176.3%1923.7%


Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Colorado

This measure was put on the ballot through a unanimous vote of the Broomfield City Council.


See also

External links

Footnotes