Editor's note: The races in this year's municipal election include various seats, notably the mayor, city council, clerk and recorder, and auditor. Denver voters will also decide the fate of local ballot measures. Polling centers closed at 7 p.m. Check here for live updates.
April 6, 4:31 p.m. - Calderon acknowledges defeat in Denver mayor race
Lisa Calderon acknowledged she did not make the runoff election in a statement sent out on Twitter. She thanked her supporters for believing in her vision of Denver and said her campaign “did more with less.”
In the final tally, Calderon was unable to unseat second place finisher Kelly Brough, coming short by just about 3,100 votes. Though her run was unsuccessful, Calderon said she will campaign with other like-minded candidates like Shontel Lewis, Candi CdeBaca and Shannon Hoffman who are running for council districts 8, 9 and 10, respectively.
April 6, 2:04 p.m. - Denver mayoral runoff appears set
Lisa Calderon came up short in the latest ballot count from the Denver Clerk’s office. With just over 2,400 ballots left, the gap between Kelly Brough and Calderon is 3,211 according to a 2 p.m. update.
Former state sen. Mike Johnston secured almost 42,000 votes in the municipal election, accounting for about 24.5% of the vote. Brough secured over 34,000 or just over 20% of the vote.
April 6, 2 p.m. - Candi CdeBaca expands lead in District 9
Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca expanded her lead over challenger Darrell Watson in the latest count released at 2 p.m. Thursday. CdeBaca, who trailed in the initial count before catching up last night, now holds 7,330 votes compared to Watson’s 7,122, a difference of 208 votes. Watson led by as many as 294 votes at one point in the count.
April 6, 2 p.m. – Sarah Parady pulls away from Penfield Tate for city’s at-large council seat
The latest count saw Sarah Parady pulling away from Penfield Tate in the race for the city’s at-large seat. Parady overtook Tate, a former state senator, in last night’s count by about 1,400 votes. Today’s tally put Parady’s advantage at more than 2,500 votes.
April 6, 1:01 p.m. Groff, Carroll endorse Johnston for Denver mayor
Former state sen. Mike Johnston earned endorsements from former Colorado House of Representatives Speaker Terrance Carroll and former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff.
Carroll was the the first and only African-American Speaker in Colorado's House of Representatives. Groff preceded Johnston in the state senate, representing northeast Denver. He was the first African-American to serve as Senate President.
Both highlighted Johnston's experience as an "innovative and effective" leader through 20 years of service to Colorado.
April 5, 6:05 p.m. Parady moves ahead of Tate for City Council at-large seat
Though Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez maintains her lead in the city council at-large race, Sarah Parady has now moved into the second position ahead of Penfield Tate. The latest 5 p.m. update from Denver’s Elections Division saw Parady gain 7,700 votes, enough to lead the former state senator by over 1,400.
Parady and Tate are separated by just 0.6%, but in Denver’s at-large council race, candidates only must finish in the top two to win. There are no runoffs for the two open seats on the council.
This graph shows the unofficial tally of the at-large city council race in Denver as of 5 p.m. on April 5. (Graph from Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office.)
April 5, 5:41 p.m. - Lisa Calderon cuts into Kelly Brough's lead in latest tally
Lisa Calderon has cut into Kelly Brough’s lead, the latest tally from the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office shows, though both Mike Johnston and Brough have maintain their lead over the rest of the mayoral aspirants. As of 5 p.m., Johnston secured 24.5% of the votes, with Brough at 20.6%, of nearly 150,000 ballots counted so far. Calderon's share inched up to 17.37%, up from 15.9% in the previous tally.
This graph shows the unofficial tally of the mayor's race in Denver as of 5 p.m. on April 5. (Graph from Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office.)
April 5, 6 p.m. - CdeBaca overtakes rival in tally
Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, who trailed through several tallies, overtook challenger Darrell Watson in the latest count released at 5:00 p.m.
CdeBaca now leads by 54 votes. Watson took the lead in the earlier counts, gaining as much as 294 at one point.
This graph shows the unofficial tally of the at-large city council race in District 9 in Denver as of 5 p.m. on April 5. (Graph from Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office.)
April 5, 2:20 p.m. - Gap narrows for second at-large seat on Denver city council
Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez maintains her lead with almost 34,000 votes. Pennfield Tate remains in second place, but Sarah Parady closed the gap to within a quarter of a percentage point. They are separated by 480 votes.
The top two vote totals would win at-large seats. The race would not go to a runoff.
April 5, 2:15 p.m. - CdeBaca rival keeps incumbent at bay in latest tally
Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca cut down challenger Darrell Watson's lead to 220 votes in the latest tally. Watson was ahead by 294 votes in the previous ballot drop.
April 5, 2:05 p.m. - Brough, Johnston maintain runoff lead in latest tally
Lisa Calderon's hopes of overtaking Kelly Brough slowly disappeared in the latest tally, where Brough and Johnston maintained their substantial leads over the rest of the field. Johnston sill cornered about 25% of the vote, while Brough kept her share at 22%. Calderon inched up to 16% of the vote.
About 12,000 new votes were added to the tally in the latest release, bringing the total number of votes counted to about 120,000.
April 5, 1:58 p.m. - Lisa Calderon is 'confident' she'll make runoff, but math is tough
Lisa Calderon, who is currently in distant third place for the race for Denver mayor, said she's confidence that the 2 p.m. ballot drop would put her in the runoff.
"Dr. Lisa Calderón is feeling confident that as we wait for the final 65,000 votes to be counted, progressive voters who vote in the final two days will advance her to the runoff," her campaign said on Twitter.
The math is steep for Calderon. Currently, she has 15.16% of the vote. In order for her to edge out Brough, she would need to win 35% of the 65,000 votes and keep Johnston and Brough to their current rate of about 25% and 22%, respectively.
12:33 p.m. - Denver Elections Commissions briefing happening now.
Denver Gazette reporter Alex Edwards is there to catch the latest details about the election that concluded voting yesterday.
Earlier today the DEC tweeted "In the 2023 Municipal Election, roughly 38% of active registered voters cast their ballots." That's on par with the 2019 election that saw 39.6 percent turnout.
10:31 a.m. - Ballots continue to be counted in Denver
Election workers are processing about 65,000 ballots this morning and plan a results update for 2:00 p.m., according to a Denver Election Commission tweet sent last night. Results remain unofficial until the election is certified on Thursday, April 20th.
There are about 65,000 ballots left to process and tabulate. In the morning, we will continue, with next results reporting at 2 p.m. after a meaningful number of ballots have moved through to the tabulation stage.
— Denver Elections (@DenverElections) April 5, 2023
8:45 a.m. - CdeBaca rival's lead slightly widens
In District 9, where Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, the incumbent, finds herself in a fight, challenger Darrell Watson's lead slightly widened by 61 votes. Watson is now up by a total of 294 votes, up from 233 last night.
8 a.m. Wednesday - Johnston looks to runoff
Johnston, who led early in the count, maintained his advantage throughout the night Tuesday.
"Tonight is not the ending, tonight is just the first step," Johnston tweeted. "Thank you, Denver! Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get to work."
Thanking his supporters, Johnston laid out his run-off campaign strategy.
"We're excited to keep doing a lot of what we've been doing, which is building grassroots coalitions in every neighborhood around the city at means meet and greets," he told Colorado Politics late Tuesday. "That means conversations on people's front porches and in their coffee shops and brewpubs to hear what's important to them and talking about what's important to us."
10 p.m. - Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough still in control of Denver mayor race after third batch of results
Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough appeared headed to a runoff after the latest drop of Denver election results Tuesday night.
Johnston commanded 24.6% of the vote to Brough's 22.4% in the third release of numbers in the Denver municipal election.
Lisa Calderon was third with 14.8% and Andy Rougeot was fourth with 13.1%.
As of 10 p.m., Denver election officials had counted 104,027 votes for Denver mayor.
8:50 p.m. - pregnancy announcement
Denver City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca announced from the stage of the election night watch party at Town Hall Collab she's pregnant. It came after the 8:30 p.m. ballot count drop.
“What I feel in my body is what I feel about this race," she said. "We’re creating something brand new in this city.”
CdeBaca was losing at the time to challenger Darrell Watson, who had 45.6% of the votes to her 42.9% with 94,299 ballots counted.
Denver City Councilmember and candidate Candi CdeBaca, District 9, before and after she revealed her baby bump on election night on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
8:30 p.m. - Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough maintain mayor race lead in second results release
A second release of Denver election results changed very little in the Denver mayor race where Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough maintained a strong lead over the other 14 candidates.
Only about 2,500 new ballots were added to the tally between the 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. drops, and Johnston held 24.5% support to Brough's 23%. Lisa Calderon was third with 14.4% and Andy Rougeot in fourth with 13.4%.
Johnston's communications director Jordan Fuja said the early results showing her candidate in the lead were what his strategists expected.
"We put in a lot of work on the ground game these last few weeks and this past month," she said. "Mike just wrapped up today his 78-neighborhood tour, visiting every single neighborhood in Denver. I think people seeing Mike out in their communities, being able to talk to him face-to-face, got us where we are today. We're in a really good spot after that first round of ballots coming in, and we're feeling excited about the rest of the evening."
Fuja said Johnston is demonstrating broad support across Denver.
"It's a lot of people who are ready for a mayor who can actually fix the tough problems and bring people together," she said. "He was the state senator from northeast Denver, so he has a lot of support there, but really all over the city we're seeing people supporting Mike."
8:19 p.m. - Herdon praise for Brough
Christopher Herndon represents District 8 on the Denver City Council and endorsed Brough's campaign. Herndon is term limited and did not endorse a mayoral candidate in the 2019 municipal election, instead decided to focus his efforts on re-election he said.
"She has the experience needed, and from day one, she can move the city forward," he said. "All her plans are thoughtful, and she's heard the concerns of voters."
Brough notably also drew the endorsement from several sitting mayors in the Denver Metro Area, some highlighting her regional plan to address homelessness.
8:16 p.m. - Denver City Council early results
As of the first batch of ballots, Darrell Watson held a narrow lead over incumbent Candi CdeBaca. Watson held 45.84% of the vote, while CdeBaca secured 42.76%.
In district races, if no one candidate receives at least 50% of the vote, the race heads to a runoff.
At-large
Gonzales-Gutierrez 17.5 percent
Penfield Tate 16.4 percent
District 1
Sandoval 82 percent
Truckey 18 percent
District 2
Kevin Flynn 76 percent
Tiffany Caudill 15 percent
District 3
Jamie Torres 99.9 percent
Write-in .09 percent
District 4
Diana Romero Campbell 56.4 percent
Tony Pigford 43.6 percent
District 5
Amanda Sawyer 64.8 percent
Michael Hughes 35 percent
District 6
Paul Kashmann 100 percent
Write-in 0 percent
District 7
Flor Alvidrez 37.5 percent
Adam Estroff 18.5 percent
District 8
Brad Revare 36.6 percent
Shontel M. Lewis 31.1 percent
District 9
Darrell Watson 45.8 percent
Candi CdeBaca 43.8 percent
District 10
Chris Hinds 38.9 percent
Noah Kaplan 25.9 percent
District 11
Stacie Gilmore 99.8 percent
Write-in .13 percent
via Denver Election Results at DenverGov.org
7:41 p.m. - Linkhart happy to see Johnston leading
Mike Johnston supporter Doug Linkhart, a former at-large Denver councilman and 2011 mayoral candidate, said he was happy to see his pick in the lead after embracing Johnston as the candidate made his way through the crowd.
"I think the results in the end will be pretty simlar to what we already see," Linhart said. "I think people are inspired by Mike Johnston — they see vision, they see hope, and not the politics of despair that you see at the national level. I think people at the local level really want hope."
7:27 p.m. - Lisa Calderon seeing what she expected
Lisa Calderon's campaign manager Sarah Lake said the initial dump of Denver election results were not a surprise. Calderon sat in third place in the Denver mayor race with 14% of the first vote tally.
"We're seeing exactly what we expected," Lake said. "Our voters are late voters and we know that black and brown communities and low-income communities are the ones who tend to turn in ballots late. We are going to show that Denver is a truly progressive city who wants new leadership that's going to represent its people and make sure that we're leading with proven solutions to our biggest challenges."
7:19 p.m. - Early results in Referred Question 20
The early results in Denver's Referred Question 20 vote show a significant lead for the "No" vote, with 60.2% against and only 39.7% support.
The former Park Hill Golf Course would stay undeveloped for now, if the current Denver election results hold steady.
7:16 p.m. - Kelly Brough feeling the love
A small cheer went up from Kelly Brough's supporters when the first results posted, though the music playing in the ReelWorks Event Center drowned everything out.
"I'm feeling great; I don't know what else to say," Kelly Brough said right before the first polling results were posted. "My goal was to make sure voters knew who I was and what my plans were."
Brough "felt a lot of love" from Denver voters as the campaign picked up. Her final "Coffee with Kelly" events, a way for her to directly connect with Denver voters drew 30-40 people each as election day neared. Brough is currently in second place, behind Mike Johnston with just over 90,000 ballots counted.
7:06 p.m. - Cheers go up in Mike Johnston'd headquarters
A cheer went up in the crowd several hundred people gathered at Mike Johnston's watch party at a Lower Downtown hotel when the first round of results posted on a screen at the front of the room showing Johnston with a narrow lead over Kelly Brough, whose supporters are gathered about a half mile away.
7:04 p.m. - Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough out to early lead
Polls officially closed at 7 p.m. in Denver, and in the first dump of Denver election results, Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough were out to a sizable lead over the field.
Johnston was leading the race with 24.5% of the vote, Brough in second place with 23% and Lisa Calderon was third at 14.4%.
5:23 p.m. — Denver voter turnout update
Voting turnout crossed the 25% mark according to the latest data update from the Denver Elections Division.
In the latest update, the elections division reported over 117,000 ballots have been returned so far. This is just over one quarter of Denver’s 406,000 registered voters.
Turnout has lagged behind previous municipal elections, but is picking up at some locations.
4:21 p.m. — Ballot boxes beginning to fill
Voting has begun to pick up at 4 p.m. at the Harvey Recreation Center, where election staffers noted that more people are dropping off their ballots or voting in person. “It was pretty dead this morning, but things are picking up,” a staffer said.
Outside, where officials set up a ballot drop box, staffers waved several cars into a lane bounded by orange cones. “This is ballot box No. 3,” one staffer said, indicating two had already been filled.
2:47 p.m. — Denver Elections online presence
Denver's election bureau has a results dashboard that will display results after the polls close at 7:00 p.m. and they release of preliminary results. It is at: Denver Election Results
Ballot processing is being live streamed on YouTube.
And what's a modern election without a meme included? @DenverElections Twitter feed has that covered.
#Doge (unofficially) approves of this message pic.twitter.com/NWxz5eBhx0
— Denver Elections (@DenverElections) April 3, 2023
2 p.m. — Candidates make last minute push for votes
Candidates for Denver mayor are making a final push in the hopes of finishing strong with only a few hours left before the city's voting closes. The candidates had hunkered down over the weekend, conducting phone banks off Pecos Street to knocking on doors of the Sunnyside and University neighborhoods. With the race expected to be tight, a few votes could put anyone of them in the top two spots, who would then vie in a runoff in June.
"With record low voter turnout, your vote matters more than ever! Make sure you and 5 other friends turn in your ballots by 7 p.m., tonight to make sure we elect a mayor who is committed to fighting for Denver's future!" Andy Rougeot said on Twitter.
"We made it to Election Day, #Denver!" Chris Hansen similarly said. "Don’t forget to get your ballot in or hop in line at your polling place by 7 p.m.! Find you polling place or drop box: lnkd.in/gJpm3MYQ"
"You call me, or I call you. Locate your nearest drop box or voter polling service center DebbieOrtega.com/vote and if in doubt give our campaign center a call," Debbei Ortega said.
"Make sure you get your ballots in by 7 p.m., but after that, come to our Election Night watch party!" Lisa Calderon said.
"Today is the day!" Kelly Brough said, adding, "Be sure to turn in your ballot by 7 p.m., or visit one of the many Denver locations to cast your vote today."
Mike Johnston echoed the message: "Good morning, Denver! Election Day is finally here! If you haven’t submitted your ballot yet, be sure to find your closest dropbox or in-person polling site here."
"Tonight we celebrate a years worth of hard work" Ean Tafoya said. "Doors, debates, calls, concerts, art shows, fashion shows, plays, texting, parades, marches, bike rides, coffee hours, meet and greets, house parties, + more."
8:50 a.m. — A quick guide to locating the nearest voting center
An election judge hands a driver a sticker after receiving their ballot at the ballot drop off tent outside the Denver Elections Division building on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 in Denver, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette)
To locate the nearest ballot drop box or polling center near you, click here. You'll see a map and just above it a search field. Enter your address and hit search. Note that the map will show you the address you entered as a pin icon — that's your address, not where to go. To figure out where to go, you need to hover your cursor on the red box or blue check mark closest to your address. The name of the ballot drop box or voting center will pop up. Clicking on it will give you the option to get directions. On a mobile phone, you'll need to click on the drop box or voting center, and then click on the address that pops up to get directions.
8:20 a.m. — Smooth sailing so far, despite the weather
Election officials so far have found no issues at polling centers throughout Denver this morning. They said voters have plenty of options, despite the rain and snow.
Election judge Brenda Roy works at the ballot sorting machine on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 in Denver, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Denver Gazette)
"They can come in to a vote center to get toasty and cast their ballot, they can drop their ballot in a secure drop box across the city, or they can use the drive up option at most vote centers so they don’t even have to leave their cars," Lucille Wenegieme of the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office told The Denver Gazette.
"Lastly, today’s the day! If they wait until things thaw out, they’ll miss their change," Wenegieme added.
7:20 a.m. — Snow and cold temperatures for election day
Denver voters heading to the polls should expect the white stuff. There’s a 70% chance of snow showers in the forecast for Tuesday, mainly before 5 p.m. Expect cloudy skies, with a high near 37 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Light flurries and blowing snow sticking to the grass early, but sidewalks and streets just appear wet.
6 a.m. — Ballot return inches up, but still lags behind previous elections
Voters returned more than 18,000 ballots yesterday, the single biggest haul yet in this year's election. Still, that number lags behind the 25,000 plus ballots returned before the election in 2019. Monday's returns bring total turnout to 19.7%. A total of 363,704 ballots have yet to be cast.
And, in keeping with weekly trends, voters aged 65 and above continue to dominate turnout, submitting over 36,000 ballots. The next closest group, aged 55-64, turned in less than half that amount, reaching almost 15,000.
Interested in watching the ballot count?
Denverites don't need to leave home — or their office — to watch the ballot count. The Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office is live-streaming the counting and processing rooms here: https://youtu.be/PHnJq9z0MQQ 📺
Officials have also sought to reassure the public that the election system in Denver is safe and secure, and that various security measures are in place to protect the sanctity of the mail-in ballot.
Do not mail your ballot
Just a friendly reminder that, if you still have not voted, do no mail your ballot. It's too late. Instead, bring your ballot to one of the city's 43 drop boxes that are open 24 hours. You may also vote in person or return your ballot at a voting center or drive-through. The locations are available here.
Check for wait times at nearest polling center
Voters can check the wait times at polling centers here to ensure they won't get stuck in line.
Denver election voter guide: Resources for procrastinators
You can find the candidates for Denver mayor here.
You can find the candidates for Denver city council, auditor and clerk here.
The Denver Gazette hosted a forum on the Denver mayor race a few weeks ago. Watch it here.
Most candidates remaining in the 16 person field took part in the Denver Gazette's Mayoral Forum today, March 22. During one segment, moderators asked candidates their approval for certain policy measures in a rapid fire round. Interestingly, only two candidates emphatically approve of the job Mayor Hancock is doing in office, while the vast majority disapprove or took issue with specific policies of Hancock's administration.
And here are the Denver mayoral candidates' priorities.
We also asked the Denver mayor candidates three pressing questions. Here are their answers.
We also asked the Denver mayor candidates about their public safety priorities. Here are their answers.
And here is where the Denver mayor candidates stand on woes plaguing the 16th Street Mall.
We also asked the candidates about doubling — or even tripling energy bills — and other energy challenges.
And if you're wondering what are Denver voters' top issues heading into the Denver election, you can read about them here.
The former Park Hill Golf Course would stay undeveloped for now, if margins as of early returns in the 2O ballot measure hold steady.
