Denver council orders at‑large election change to ballot; ranked‑choice proposal fails to advance

Denver City Council voted Aug. 11 to place a charter amendment on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot that would split the city’s two at‑large council seats into separate contests (at‑large A and at‑large B), a change backers said would ensure each at‑large winner secures a majority. A separate proposal to replace the city’s runoff system with instant runoff voting (ranked‑choice voting, RCV) failed on the same night.

Councilmembers who sponsored the at‑large amendment argued the change would align at‑large elections with how other citywide offices are chosen, require majority winners and reduce undervoting observed in two‑seat, single‑ballot contests. Councilmember Kevin Flynn and other sponsors said data show substantially higher undervoting in the at‑large contest compared with mayoral and district races.

The council voted 7–6 to place the at‑large amendment on the ballot. The measure will ask Denver voters whether the two at‑large seats should…