Editor’s note: We are tracking today’s consolidated elections in Colorado. Check here for updates.

Democrats concede Proposition HH defeat

“Prop HH was always about providing long term tax relief for Colorado seniors and families in a way that doesn’t hurt our teachers, firefighters, and local communities,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg of Boulder. “Prop HH was a nuanced, balanced policy that appears to have fallen prey to a misinformation slogan campaign by the far right, who would prefer to cut property taxes on the backs of our schools and fire districts.”

Fenberg added: “It’s unclear tonight what the pathway forward is, but it’s clear the answer is not Initiative 50, which would amend the constitution to permanently reduce funding for schools, fire districts, and libraries.”

Scott Wasserman of the Bell Policy Center said, “Good policy doesn’t always make for a good ballot measure. It wasn’t just that Prop HH was complex, it’s that it was a political Goldilocks. Conservatives attacked it for backfilling local communities with TABOR surplus and local governments attacked it for not backfilling them enough.”

Wasserman urged Colorado’s policymakers to adopt a property tax relief package that “prioritizes relief for low- and middle-income homeowners, renters, and small business owners.”

“And they’ll need to find a way to pay for it that protects our schools and other critical local services. I don’t see how they do that without using the TABOR surplus, even if just for one year,” Wasserman said.

Polis, via a spokesperson, said he is considering next steps.

“The governor thanks everyone who voted in this year’s election,” gubernatorial spokesman Conor Cahill said. “While he is disappointed voters didn’t pass a long-term property tax cut, he is currently considering next steps.”

AP calls Propositions HH, II   

The Associated Press has called the contests for the state’s two ballot measures: AP said Proposition HH has lost the election, while voters have approved Proposition II.   

John Youngquist leads race for Denver education board’s at-large seat

Voters on Tuesday appear to favor John Youngquist, a former East High School principal, to fill the at large seat held by outgoing Board Vice President Auon’tai M. Anderson, the early and unofficial results show.

Youngquist, who did not get the support of the local teachers’ union, was off to a big lead over his two competitors with 62.8% of the vote.

“It’s a great start,” Youngquist said at his watch party at Bar38 in Denver.

Democrat-backed property tax bill headed for defeat

Proposition HH is now losing by roughly 20 points, the latest update shows.

Some 60% of voters have rejected the measure, the latest count of roughly 520,000 votes shows.     

Proposition HH trails, with 56% voting “no”  

While Colorado shifted to solidly blue in last year’s elections, voters appear to take a dim view of the property tax measure the Democrats want them to pass tonight.

Proposition HH, which Gov. Jared Polis championed, is trailing, with 56% voting “no” of roughly 280,000 votes counted so far, according to early and unofficial results.

Incumbent Aurora mayor jumps out to early lead 

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman is poised to secure a second term.

With early, and unofficial, results posted by the Secretary of State, Coffman is leading his challengers, Juan Marcano, a councilmember, and Jeffrey Sanford, after polls closed on Tuesday night.

Coffman is leading Marcano, 56.6% to 36.5%. Sanford, who refused political contributions or endorsements, trailed with 7% of the vote.

Coombs, Gardner notch early lead for Aurora at-large seat

After polls closed Tuesday night and early returns came in, Aurora voters appear to favor a politically mixed council, with Curtis Gardner and Alison Coombs winning majority of the votes for at-large council seats over challengers Thomas Mayes and Jono Scott.

Gardner and Coombs are leading over Mayes and Scott, Gardner with 28.4% of the vote, Coombs with 27.4%, Scott with 23.2%, and Mayes with 21%. Results from the Secretary of State are early and unofficial.

1 p.m. Election officials tout ballot access

Voters from Denver, Arapahoe and Adams counties can cast ballots in one voting center.

Voters can turn in ballots at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library Branch at 9898 E. Colfax Avenue in Aurora. The place is located near the border of all three counties.

“This is an example of an inter-county collaboration, making voting accessible to all voters in the region,” Colorado Secretary of State told reporters outside the library on Tuesday morning.

“It’s too early to say where it will land and there’s various variables,” she told The Denver Gazette. “Our job as election administrators is to make sure that access is in place, that Coloradans have ease to cast a ballot in a secure election and we’ve achieved that goal largely.”

Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López added, “Think about the poetic justice of a tri-county ballot box … at a library whose namesake is Martin Luther King Jr., who fought in the streets and led a civil rights movement based on all of us being equal … and our right to the ballot box,” López said.

10. a.m. Voters say property and tobacco tax measures drew them to polling centers

Voters in southwest Denver said the propositions on the ballot on Tuesday drew them to the polls in an off-election year.

Typically, off-year elections have fewer races and generate a lower voter turnout.

Six voters stood in line at the Harvey Park Recreation Center off of S. Tennyson Way in southwest Denver when the polls opened Tuesday morning, said Mike Mohrman, an election judge.

“It’s standard for an off election,” said Mohrman, who has worked elections for the past two decades. 

A stream of cars swung by the drop-off ballot box outside the polling center.

Anna Schroeder, who lives close enough to Harvey Park, walked to drop off her ballot. 

And while three of the seven Denver school board seats are up for grabs this election, it is Proposition HH that drew Schroeder to the polls.

“I’m not a fan of TABOR laws,” said Schroeder, who manages capital infrastructure projects.

Schroeder added, “It caps us and we’re kind of behind.” 

Placed on the ballot by the state legislature, Proposition HH asks voters whether to use Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights surplus revenue – which is usually refunded to taxpayers – to reduce property taxes, fund school districts and backfill counties, water districts, fire districts, ambulance or hospital districts and other local governments.

Voters will also consider Proposition II, which asks voters to allow the state to keep and spend $23.65 million in tax revenue from tobacco and nicotine products, rather than refund it to wholesalers and distributors. The measure also asks voters to maintain the current tax rates that apply to tobacco and nicotine products.  

“They’re also ways for more,” said Laurie Billeter, who lives in southwest Denver.

Billeter added, “I’m tired of giving and giving and giving,”

Billeter, who is retired, said she doesn’t support the propositions.  

Neither Schroeder nor Billeter has children. And both said Tuesday that they have not been following all the school board drama this year.  

Local polls showed, leading up to the election, that just 30% of likely voters held a favorable view of the school board.

Given the public discontent, which includes a recall effort, political pundits have speculated that this year’s contest has the potential to change the board’s makeup.

“It was a tough between (John) Youngquist and (Kwame) Spearman for me,” Schroeder said. “I think both of them are very good.”

Youngquist, an education consultant and former East High School principal, while Spearman is co-owner of the Tattered Cover. Both are running for the at large seat held by outgoing Board Vice President Auon’tai M. Anderson.

Brittni Johnson, a doctoral student, is also making a bid for Anderson’s seat. Anderson dropped out of the school board race in June to run for House District 8, held by state Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver.

Schroeder said she voted for Spearman. 

“Education is one of the important things, we have to manage it and put money into it,” Schroeder said.

Parents with children attending schools in southwest Denver have long complained about not being included in the decisions that affect their community. They include the closure of the Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy, one of three schools shuttered earlier this year because of declining enrollment.

9:29 a.m. Ballot returns very slightly inch up

The latest returns added about 5,000 more ballots between noon yesterday and this morning, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. 

Data show Coloradans returned 1,030,883 ballots as of 8:30 a.m. today. Unaffiliated voters led the pack at 38% of the total, followed by Republicans at 31% and Democrats 30%.   

8:40 a.m. Less than 30% have voted so far

Less than than 30% of the state’s 3.92 million active voters – 1,025,868 – have cast a ballot so far, according to data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, citing returns through 11:30 p.m. Monday. 

A little more than 5,000 did so “in person.”

Of the votes cast, independent voters turned in the most at 396,827, followed by Republicans at 316,363 and Democrats at 307,179. 

Jefferson County voters have cast the most thus far, at 125,511, followed by El Paso County at 123,237. Denver voters only turned in 93,263 so far.  

Women aged 65-74 so far outpaced other demographic groups – 146,306. Men in the same age range were in second place at 130,498. 

Here’s a link to the Colorado Secretary of State webpage for Election Day information. 

5 a.m. It’s Election Day – don’t forget to vote! 

Colorado voters will decide today the fate of a property tax measure, several municipal races and education board seats across multiple jurisdictions. 

In Denver, the public will start to see results shortly after 7 p.m., with updates expected at 8:30 p.m., 10 p.m., 11:30 p.m. Officials expect a final report after midnight.

The first tally at 7 p.m. will reflect early ballots – received and processed through Nov. 6

On the statewide ballot, Proposition HH will ask voters whether to use Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights surplus revenue – which is usually refunded to taxpayers – to reduce property taxes, fund school districts and backfill counties, water districts, fire districts, ambulance or hospital districts and other local governments.

A companion measure from the legislature that would only be implemented if HH passes would provide a one-time only equalized TABOR refund to all taxpayers, paid next April with tax filings.

In Aurora, 13 candidates vying for the mayor’s seat and several positions on the City Council. There are three candidates for mayor, four candidates for two at-large councilmember positions, and two candidates each for council seats in Wards IV, V and VI.

In Denver, several seats on education board are up for grabs. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and all ballots must be in the hands of county clerks by 7 p.m. in order to be counted.

If you haven’t voted yet, check out the Denver and Aurora voter guides here:

Denver Voter Guide: 2023 November Election

Aurora Voter Guide: 2023 November Election