Colorado Springs City Clerk’s Office preparing for a possible mayoral runoff election
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- While the Colorado Springs General Election is Tuesday, April 4, this may just be the beginning of the race to be the city's next mayor.
Due to the number of candidates for mayor, the city is preparing for a runoff since it's unlikely that any one candidate will receive enough votes to be declared the winner.
Colorado Springs city law requires that the leading candidate gets more than 50% of the vote to win the mayor's seat. With the crowded field of 12 candidates running for mayor, the City Clerk told KRDO it's unlikely a candidate will meet that threshold.
"It is the most candidates we've had for mayor since the strong mayor form came into play," explained Sarah Johnson, City Clerk for Colorado Springs.
The city has already set a runoff election date for May 16, 2023. The runoff is estimated to cost more than $300,000. If that happens, it would be the city's third runoff election in the last ten years.
"We will mail a completely new ballot out," said Johnson.
According to Johnson, the new ballot will have an orange strip on the envelope to differentiate between the two elections.
On top of preparing for a runoff election, the city said voter turnout this election is extremely low. As of Monday evening, less than 20% of voters have turned in their ballots.
Since there is no in-person voting for the city election, people have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to submit their ballot at a drop-off location. Every single ballot drop-off location is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
"It really is time for everybody to get that ballot, open it, and get it in," said Johnson.
Johnson said it's important that people who can vote do vote so that way there won't be runoffs for the city council candidates.
