The Optimist: Democracy in Colorado … and Aspen

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Greg Goldfarb. Courtesy photo Here we are, 60 days from another major election in America and you know what I feel — incredible optimism! How is that possible, you ask? We live in a time of extreme partisanship, where vitriol, cruelty, insults, and even physical threats are common. How could anyone be optimistic about democracy and politics in this environment?

Well, we live in the state of Colorado, which is one of the states lighting the path toward a more effective, more representative democracy where everyone’s vote matters. For over a decade, Colorado has been at the forefront of democracy innovation, proving the rules and incentives of the system impact the legitimacy of both our democracy and our leaders. Our state is working to institute a “greatest hits” list of reforms to make democracy in Colorado more inclusive, more engaging, and higher integrity. In 2013, we instituted universal mail-in voting where ballots are sent to all registered voters. Talk about foresight when COVID hit. We later implemented automatic voter registration at the DMV, adopted independent redistricting to fight partisan gerrymandering, and adopted semi-open primaries where independent and unaffiliated voters could at least vote in a D or R primary. Along the way, Colorado ramped up programs to make elections more transparent and more auditable. Altogether, Colorado proves that the boring “grease and gears” of our democracy infrastructure matters more than any of us knew.

What happened in Colorado following these reforms? Costs fell. Voters had more time to get educated, with the ballot and educational “blue book” in hand for weeks before Election Day. Most importantly, voter turn-out skyrocketed. In 2020, over 76% of our state’s 4.3 million eligible citizens voted, ranking Colorado No. 2 in the nation in voter turnout. Our turnout was up nearly 10 percentage points over the 2004 election. We are inching our way, steadily but surely, toward the impossible dream of 100% voter turnout.

This November, voters will have the opportunity to support further democracy innovation in Colorado. Colorado will vote on adopting a truly open primary in which any candidate who qualifies can run. In this open primary system, we would all vote in a single, open primary, rather than different party primaries. Party primaries are weird constructs — the party typically sets the rules, but taxpayers foot the bill for the primary elections. In an open primary, we would be Americans first and members of a political tribe second. Our tax dollars would pay for a single primary election not beholden to party goals. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election, where the winner must have a majority. This system expands choice, creates incentives for candidates to earn the respect of the broad population rather than their loudest tribe members, and welcomes independent-minded candidates. Party insiders sometimes oppose this reform because they like when their side is winning and do not want to risk that success. Similarly, external power brokers fear it will reduce the influence they have gained over political parties.

But imagine a system where candidates have an incentive to win the hearts and minds of more voters, rather than playing to the most partisan voters. Imagine a system where more good people decide to run for office because they see a fairer competitive playing field among candidates. Imagine a system where citizens choose to engage more actively because they feel their vote really matters. This is such a promising opportunity for our democracy that I will cover it soon in a dedicated column.

We can have all the reforms imaginable, but a healthy democracy also requires civic engagement. We need citizens who care. We need elected officials who care. On a local level in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, we have an enormous wellspring of engagement. Wherever any of us lands on critical issues like affordability, the airport modernization, or access to Aspen, community engagement is vibrant. Everyone has an opinion … sometimes two. Aspen, Snowmass Village, and Pitkin County make it incredibly easy for anyone to attend a council or commission meeting in person or online. If you haven’t attended, the sausage-making of local policy is a beautiful thing. You will see elected leaders who care deeply, even when you don’t agree with them.

Perhaps the only fair criticism of our local engagement is that we exhibit a slight propensity toward personal attacks. I chalk this up to positive intent — we care deeply and sometimes that leads us astray. As a community, we are capable of vigorous debate, without impugning the character of fellow citizens on the other side of the debate. Our current national discourse does not set an example, so we could choose to go our own way in this regard — assume positive intent, debate the facts, and make the best decisions we can.

On several hot local issues, we could organize one-on-one debates in the lead up to the November election, maybe even via debate night at the Wheeler. While our modern sensibilities would not tolerate a series of seven, 3-hour long debates (entertainment options were clearly limited in 1858), our community could handle a couple of 45 minute debates. We Americans seem to like one-on-one debates — it’s not quite the Super Bowl or the finale of Seinfeld, but viewership is impressively high. In our little enclave, we could arrange some free popcorn and get a Michael Buffer impersonator to keep time and keep it fun. It will soon be quiet season in town — what better time to channel our civic engagement in a productive way?

Greg Goldfarb lives in Aspen.

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