A week to Election Day: Denver's lawsuit over ICE at the polls, and what the clerk has told the Council
Denver has joined a federal suit to keep immigration agents away from voting sites. The clerk calls the threat a scare tactic and points to 24-hour drop boxes. Here's what changed since our at-large race guide.
Election Day is Nov. 3, and Denver is preparing for something it hasn't faced before: the possibility of federal immigration agents near voting sites. Denver has joined civil rights and voting groups in a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., asking a judge to block ICE from voting locations, The Colorado Sun reported.
This follows our guide to the at-large Council race, the one Council contest on every Denver ballot. What's new is how the city says it will protect voters.
What city officials have said
According to The Colorado Sun:
- No ICE sightings so far. Denver has not reported any immigration agents at its polling places, and election workers are being trained to watch for them, document their presence and de-escalate.
- The mayor's office. A spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston said the city would seek an emergency court order if officers intimidated voters. An executive order Johnston signed earlier this year requires city police to step in to stop "violent and unlawful behavior by ICE."
- Police. The Denver Police Department said it would respond to reported violations at voting sites with a focus on de-escalation, following city attorney advice.
- The clerk. Clerk and Recorder Paul López said he thinks ICE at Colorado polls is unlikely and called talk of arrests a "scare tactic" to discourage voting. "We have an intimidation-proof way of voting — it's a ballot box," he told the Sun.
The Department of Homeland Security said ICE is not planning operations aimed at polling places but did not rule out arrests if there is an active public safety threat, the Sun reported. Separately, the Justice Department narrowed its election-observer plan to Adams County only, 9News reported; Denver is not on that list.
What our records add
The clerk's briefing to the Council. In May, Denver's elections office told the Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee it had 48 drop boxes open 24 hours a day (video at 27:43). Council member Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez asked whether the public knows whom to call first if they see concerning activity at a polling place or drop box (video at 1:05:44). Elections staff said they share that information with community partners and with 311, which refers those calls to the elections office (video at 1:06:48).
Advertisement
Money for more elections. At the first 2027 budget hearing, a city budget official said the proposed budget funds three elections in 2027, up from two this year (video at 30:01). Denver's mayor and Council seats are on the ballot in 2027; Mayor Mike Johnston has filed to run again.
The Council's own statement. On Oct. 19, the Council adopted a proclamation opposing statewide Amendment 81, on local police communication with federal immigration authorities, 26-1501. Our earlier story covers it: Council goes on record against Amendment 81.
What's next
- Now: About 90% of Colorado voters don't vote in person, the Sun reported. CPR News answers common questions about returning a mail ballot.
- Nov. 3: Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. The Denver Elections Division lists drop boxes and voting centers.