Capitol Coverage & State

2020 Election

The Aspen Public Radio Newsroom has chosen to focus on four specific issues for our election coverage: the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice/representation, climate change and land use/management.These issues were among the most important to voters, according to a Pew Research poll in August 2020. We also chose them because they are important to people who live in the Roaring Fork Valley. That’s especially true as many have seen the economy, and their livelihoods, take a hit because of the pandemic, the growing Latino population in the region hasn’t had someone from their community holding a countywide governmental office, wildfires have been ferocious this season in the state, and the oil and gas industry employs many people.Our central question while reporting this series was “What Can I Expect From My Government?” We set out to find a diverse group of people who could tell us their answers to that question.Our election series is scheduled for Oct. 20-23. You'll be able to hear the stories during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. All our content will also be available here. Many of the other stories you’ll find here are from our reporting partners. We wanted to provide information about Colorado's key ballot initiatives and races, and also share details about how you can take part in this historic election year.

Country Moves Closer To National Popular Vote System After Colorado Voters Narrowly Approve Prop 113

KUNC | By Scott Franz

Published November 4, 2020 at 3:40 PM MST

Colorado voters have narrowly endorsed a movement to change the way the United States picks its presidents.

With the passage of Proposition 113, Colorado will stay in the so-called National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

The initiative consists of a group of states wanting to award all their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the most votes nationwide.

Supporters of the movement say it will ensure that every vote for the president counts. They also predict moving to a national popular vote will take attention away from a small group of battleground states during presidential elections.

But even with Prop 113 passing with 52% of the vote in Colorado, there’s still no guarantee the change to a popular vote model will ever take place.

That’s because there currently aren’t enough states in the compact to trigger the change with 270 electoral votes.

With Colorado’s membership secured, the group is still 74 electoral votes shy of reaching their goal.

Colorado lawmakers made the decision to join the national popular vote movement last year, but the new law stirred up so much controversy, more than 600,000 residents signed a petition to get the question on November’s ballot.

It was just the second time in the state's history that residents initiated a referendum challenging a law passed by the legislature.

Opponents say the national popular vote system would hurt rural residents and give more power to major cities in California and New York.