Council hears pros and cons of ranked‑choice voting; staff and elections officials urge more study

Lafayette, Colo. — City officials and Boulder County elections staff briefed the Lafayette City Council on May 5 about ranked‑choice voting options and tradeoffs, including the single transferable vote (STV) method for multi‑seat elections.

City Clerk and Boulder County Elections Director Stephanie Ginza explained the mechanics and operational impacts of instant runoff voting (IRV) for single‑winner contests and STV for multi‑winner contests. "STV is the multi‑winner form of ranked voting and it requires different certification and auditing rules than standard plurality voting," Ginza said.

Boulder County staff cautioned that the Colorado Secretary of State has not yet published certification rules for voting systems to handle multi‑winner STV; until rules and vendor certifications exist, county clerks cannot fully implement STV without additional legal and technical steps. Ginza and county staff also reviewed first‑year costs based on Boulder’s experience: the city of Boulder paid roughly $77,000 the first year it ran an IRV mayoral contest, with ongoing costs falling in subsequent elections.

Callers and commenters were split. Amy Spicer of Courageous Colorado (remote caller) urged council to refer a proportional ranked‑choice measure to voters, saying RCV tends to broaden representation. Other speakers and councilors asked for more evidence that RCV produces more proportional outcomes in an at‑large council like Lafayette’s and requested visualizations that show how votes transfer across rounds.

Councilors asked for follow‑up materials: clear visuals of hypothetical vote transfers, summaries of national studies on proportionality and representation, and comparative notes on how neighboring jurisdictions label or implement ranked voting. Several councilors also raised practical questions about timing and ballot placement — whether a charter amendment could be placed on the 2026 ballot, and what lead time would be needed for public education and certification.

Next steps: Council asked staff to return with clearer pro‑con materials, a visual demonstration of transfer rounds, and examples of STV in practice elsewhere. Officials also recommended coordinating with other local governments and Boulder County if Lafayette were to pursue a ballot referral so the county’s clerks and vendors can plan for equipment certification and voter education.

Reporting note: Technical and cost estimates are based on Boulder County and the city of Boulder’s recent implementation experience; the Secretary of State’s certification rules for STV were described as unfinished and a gating factor for multi‑winner implementation.