Denver voters will decide if the city should adopt a new way to elect two of the 13 City Council members — a change that would significantly shake up the political dynamics of the elections — after the council gave final approval to the ballot question Monday.
At-large council members represent the entire city rather than districts. The proposal would split the council’s at-large positions into separate seats rather than lumping them together on the ballot.
Under current rules, those members are elected by finishing in the top two among all candidates in a single question on the ballot, with voters each choosing up to two candidates. The proposal would create “At-Large A” and “At-Large B” ballot races, requiring candidates in each to secure a majority to win, rather than a plurality.
The at-large proposal, which will appear on the November ballot, passed its first vote 7-6 last week after a tense discussion among council members.
Monday’s vote fell on the same lines, including votes against the measure by current at-large Councilwomen Sarah Parady and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez.
Last week, the council narrowly rejected a second proposed ballot measure that would have shifted most city elections — including council district races and the mayoral race — to ranked-choice voting.
