COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A new lawsuit is challenging Colorado Springs's method of holding its city elections. Mayor Yemi Mobolade addressed the lawsuit Thursday morning at a news conference.
- You can watch the news conference in its entirety below:
Several voter advocacy groups recently filed the lawsuit in Denver. They want to stop the city from holding elections in April. The groups argue the spring elections create a racial disparity in voter turnout.
You can read the lawsuit below, or by clicking here:
Colorado Springs is one of the largest cities in the state that does not hold November elections.
Mayor Mobolade was joined by other city leaders, like his Chief of Staff Wayne Williams, and Colorado Springs City Councilmember Roland Rainey.
- Watch what Mayor Mobolade had to say about the lawsuit below:
They argued, among other things, the following:
- the city's right to home rule governance
- their anecdotal experience as people of color being elected to the City Government
- the possibility of local issues not taking center stage when competing with statewide races, especially as it pertains to coverage in media cycles
Data cited in the lawsuit shows Black and Hispanic residents vote half as often as white residents in April.
Something the Common Cause, League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region, and Citizens Project said was "the lawsuit argues that Colorado Springs’ off-cycle elections disproportionately suppress Black and Hispanic turnout, creating a skewed local electorate that fails to represent the community’s true diversity," in their new release on Thursday.
“When we championed the Colorado Voting Rights Act, we did it to tear down barriers to the ballot, and that’s why we’re using it to sue Colorado Springs,” said Aly Belknap, Colorado Common Cause’s Executive Director. “When local elections are held off cycle, voters of color are disproportionately shut out. We are fighting to ensure all voters, regardless of background, can make their voices heard and ensure local government is reflective of the communities it’s responsible for representing.”
That disparity shrinks significantly during the November elections.
The lawsuit also claims this violates the Colorado Voting Rights Act, passed last year, with the goal of the lawsuit aiming to establish a national blueprint for elections to end voter suppression.
News5 will continue to follow the suit as it makes its way through the court system.
___
Davis Mortuary owners, former Pueblo County Coroner, in custody
In the latest update from the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the owners of Davis Mortuary, Christopher and Brian Cotter, have been arrested as of Thursday morning. They were booked into the Pueblo County Jail.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
