DENVER – Tuesday is election day for the city and county of Denver.
Residents will be voting for the next mayor of Denver as well as numerous city council and district council seats. Voters will also be deciding on two controversial ballot initiatives.
Six candidates are running for mayor of the Mile High City, including current Mayor, Michael Hancock. Hancock is running for a third and final time this election and is touting his experience and accomplishments in the position in his election bid. The five other candidates are:
- Lisa Calderon
- Penfield Tate
- Stephan “Seku” Evans
- Kalyn Rose Heffernan
- Jamie Giellis
Also on the ballot are two initiatives, 300 and 301.
Initiative 300, or the “Right to Survive” initiative, asks voters if people should be allowed to sleep in public spaces and set up tents. It also asks about allowing people to live in their vehicles.
The ballot question says the following:
“Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt a measure that secures and enforces basic rights for all people within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver, including the right to rest and shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner in outdoor public spaces, to eat, share accept or give free food in any public space where food is not prohibited, to occupy one’s own legally parked motor vehicle, or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner’s permission, and to have a right and expectation of privacy and safety of or in one’s person and property?”
According to reporting partnerDenver7, supporters of Initiative 300 say it is a life-saving step to address the issue of homelessness in Denver. Critics say the language is too vague and would allow homeless camps to be set up in public spaces.
Initiative 301 asks voters if the possession of psilocybin mushrooms should be decriminalized so long as the person in possession is over the age of 21.
The ballot question says the following:
“Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance to the Denver Revised Municipal Code that would make the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older the city’s lowest law-enforcement priority, prohibit the city from spending resources to impose criminal penalties for the personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by persons twenty-one (21) years of age and older, and establish the psilocybin mushroom policy review panel to assess and report on the effects of the ordinance?”
According to Denver7, supporters of Initiative 301 say the mushrooms are less harmful than cannabis, have positive effects on people dealing with addiction or mental health issues, and that the city of Denver is spending too much money on enforcing current drug laws. Critics say Denver shouldn’t become the testing ground for the legalization of another drug and that there have been enough studies done on the long term effects of psilocybin mushrooms on people.
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