More reasons to vote 'no'

The Denver Post recommends a "no" vote:

"City voters are being hurried into consideration of a new elections system. We urge rejection in the clumsy mail ballot and full consideration in May.

The Denver City Council is trying to restore confidence in the city's damaged election process, but it's going about it the wrong way.

The council recently called a snap election to replace the city election commission with an elected clerk and recorder. Mail ballots have been arriving, due to be returned no later than Jan. 30. We believe there hasn't been time for proper consideration of this issue and urge voters to reject the ballot measure."

Wash Park Prophet urges a "no" vote:

"The problem in Denver's most recent election were caused because the people in the positions did a bad job, not because having two elected and one appointed person, is worse than having one elected person. The Blue Ribbon panels that have looked into the matter have specifically found that the election commission structure wasn't the problem, and the proposal on the ballot ignores that advice. We have election commission elections to replace bad people, that doesn't require a change in the city charter."

Denver County Republican Chair Carolyn Metzler says:

"Just vote 'no'!!!"

City Council President Michael Hancock urged his colleagues to vote against the hurry-up election. Listen to his remarks in this YouTube video.

City Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz told the Rocky:

"I really do believe that the diversity of political opinion which has historically been on the Election Commission is good for the election process. Quite often you have both a Republican and a Democrat being elected. There has been a variety of opinion."

Mayor John Hickenlooper, touted as a leading proponent, has doubts about the measure according to the Rocky:

"...Mayor John Hickenlooper has offered only a qualified endorsement....

Hickenlooper had been cool to the proposed change but said after the special election was approved, 'Even though I don't think it's the perfect solution, I am going to support it.'"

Proponents of the measure think that the change "might" improve elections. Denver voters deserve better than "maybe."

Denver deserves real solutions to voting problems, not a slapdash election costing taxpayers more than $700,000. That money could have gone toward beefing up election-related computer systems and security. But no.

Vote no on the January mail ballot.