IMPORTANT UPDATE - July 17, 2024
League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region is one of the Plaintiffs in Citizens Project et al. v. City of Colorado Springs et al., a lawsuit challenging Colorado Springs’s off-cycle municipal elections as violating the Voting Rights Act because they disparately suppress Black and Latino turnout. The case was set for trial next month but on June 9 the judge dismissed the case. His decision did not say anything about the merits of our claim or in any way endorse the election timing. It simply said the organizations who brought the suit are not harmed by the practice in a way that allows them to bring a lawsuit.
While we are very disappointed in the judge's decision, rest assured that this is not the end of our efforts to ensure the City’s municipal elections are fair. We are working with our co-plaintiffs and lawyers to determine the best next steps.
For those who may not be familiar with the case, here is a brief summary: On June 1, 2022, the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School filed suit on behalf of the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, Citizens Project, Colorado Latinos Vote, and the Black and Latino Leadership Coalition, challenging the City of Colorado Springs' choice to hold elections for City Council and Mayor in April of odd-numbered years. According to studies referenced by the Harvard Law Election Clinic (HLEC), off-cycle elections disproportionately impact non-white voters, have low and unequal voter turnout, waste taxpayer resources, and lead to a government less representative of the community.
We have posted the lawsuit on our website under Documents, and you can also find an informative handout regarding the lawsuit, created for the plaintiffs by the Harvard Law Election Clinic This excellent resource is useful for understanding why the lawsuit can make a difference in voter turnout and in improving our democracy.
Sincerely,
Shelly Roehrs, Spokesperson
League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region