About the BCDP Voter Guide

Which candidates do you endorse?

In partisan races (ones where there was a primary, like Governor and State Representative), we automatically endorse the Democratic nominee. In nonpartisan races (like Boulder City Council), we automatically endorse all registered Democrats running. If there are more Democrats running than seats available, it’s up to voters to choose among them.

How do you decide recommendations on ballot measures?

First, if the Colorado Democratic Party takes a position at the state level, we automatically recommend that position. This was the case for almost all of the statewide measures this year, as well as the Front Range Passenger Rail measure.

For the others, the first step is that our Executive Committee takes a first pass, deciding which ones to consider at all. Those measures are then sent to the larger Central Committee for a vote. Each member can vote for BCDP to support a measure, oppose a measure, or remain neutral. Since we want our recommendation to reflect a broad Democratic consensus, taking a position on a measure requires a 2/3 majority of the total number of votes for all three options. (You can read more about these committees below.)

To inform these decisions, our Ballot Measures Team works year-round to track pending ballot measures, do research, and prepare the ballot measures guide. We also hold a ballot measures forum, inviting the supporters and opponents of measures the Central Committee is considering. Want to join the Ballot Measures Team? Get in touch at ballot@bocodems.org!

Why would BCDP not make a recommendation on a ballot measure?

There are several possible reasons for remaining neutral. In some cases, measures don’t connect strongly to questions of core Democratic values. Questions about funding municipal facilities tend to fall into this category. In other cases, the connection to core values cuts both ways and Democrats are divided. And municipal measures are seen in many cases as best left to the voters in that city or town instead of ones where the county party should be involved.

What are these committees, anyway?

BCDP’s governance reflects our nature as a grassroots organization. The Central Committee (CC) is the fundamental governing body of BCDP. It consists primarily of Precinct Organizers, neighborhood leaders who are elected at caucus. It also contains certain key volunteers and elected officials. The CC has 350–400 members.

The Executive Committee (EC) is a subset of the CC which governs the day-to-day operations of the Party. It consists of key volunteers, including Officers, Team Leaders, Committee Chairs, and those who support or represent regional groups of Precinct Organizers. Elected officials in partisan offices are also on the EC. The EC has 120–140 members.