|
|
Democracy in Action! |
|
THANK YOU FOR CAUCUSING |
|
.jpg "Image")
|
Last Saturday, Coloradans from all across the state met to hold their precinct caucuses and vote in preference polls for their preferred candidates for US Senate! In addition to the incredible voter turnout we saw on Super Tuesday, caucus-goers were motivated and ready to take down Cory Gardner in November.
Click here to read through the results from Saturday's Caucuses!
What comes next, though? County Assemblies and Conventions! |
|
|
|
|
A quick note from Morgan Carroll, Chair of the CDP:
Good evening, everyone. It's not hyperbole to say that we're dealing with an unprecedented situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19). While I am thankful that we have steady leadership in the state capitol with Governor Jared Polis, and our Democratic majorities in the General Assembly, there are still a lot of questions out there, and understandably a lot of fear and uncertainty.
I would like to echo what our elected leaders have been saying here in Colorado: this is a scary situation, but we will get through this together. We're in this together, and it's up to all of us to practice smart habits to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe.
As you all are likely have been wondering, COVID-19 is indeed impacting our assembly and convention process. I want to be clear: Our focus is on protecting public health and safety, while ensuring the wheels of democracy continue to move forward fairly.
The law and rules at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak did not allow dates to be changed or remote or electronic meetings or voting. Therefore, the state party pursued emergency legislation, emergency executive orders and emergency rules to allow us to make the necessary changes to protect public health and safety, while also ensuring that voters can still exercise their right to vote.
The legislature is moving quickly to pass this emergency legislation before they suspend their activities for two weeks in the interest of public safety. As the state party, we are prepared to assist our county parties in every way possible to ensure that -- pending the legislation's passage -- they will be able to allow remote participation in their assemblies and conventions.
Why is this being done?
I want to emphasize that in the wake of COVID-19, it is imperative for our country's future that our democratic processes aren't frozen or scrapped. Under the circumstances, elections must still be held to choose the leaders who will represent Colorado both in Washington and here at home.
Stay safe and stay well. Please feel free to reach out to me via email at [email protected] with any questions. We will get through this together.
In Solidarity,
Morgan Carroll, Chair Colorado Democratic Party |
|
|
|
County Assemblies and Conventions |
|
.jpg)
|
The next step in the process in this process after caucus is the county assembly and convention process! At the county assemblies and conventions, only delegates elected at their precinct caucuses can vote, but if you want to observe your county assembly, find out when/where yours will be held by clicking here!
The counties holding their assemblies and conventions this weekend are: Crowley, Hinsdale, Logan, and Park. |
|
|
Confused over the purpose of County Assembly and Convention? Not to worry!
Here's a breakdown:
The bottom line is: County Assemblies and Conventions are a crucial part of the process for candidates who are getting onto the ballot through the caucus and assembly process!
Click here to see results from the County Assemblies and Conventions! |
|
|
|
APPLY NOW: Be a National Delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention! |
|
|
Rollcall being taken at the 2008 DNC in Denver, CO! |
|
Do you want to represent Colorado and witness history firsthand as the Democratic grassroots select their nominee for President? Do you want to hear compelling speakers and meet devoted Democrats from all across the country? Then you need to apply to be a delegate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention that's happening in Milwaukee, WI during the week of July 13, 2020. Click here to fill out the application! |
|
Get Involved with the Colorado Dems! |
|
Join Our Talent Bank! |
|
.png "Image")
|
Colorado Democrats are run by PEOPLE POWER, and the only way we're going to defeat Cory Gardner and Donald Trump is to by working together! EVERYONE has a talent -- whether it's writing, programming, designing, speaking 2nd or 3rd language, or managing data, we need all Coloradans of all talents who want to elect Democrats to get in the game!
So, what are you waiting for? Click here to sign up for our Talent Bank, and let us know how you can contribute to a blue wave in 2020! |
|
|
|
Work for the 2020 Wave Webinars |
|
.gif "CDP Webinars!")
|
Homer's getting ready to show the family the next CDP Webinar! |
|
Ready to launch another blue wave in 2020? Get all the information you need at our "Work for the Wave" webinars! |
|
Voter Registration Trainings (Hosted by Betsy Daniel and Julia Bristor) Tuesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 19 @ 6:00pm MST One of the most important things we can do to defeat Republicans and elect Democrats is register new voters! Learn how to do that and be able to join us at voter registration drives by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
|
Precinct Organizer (PCP) Training (Hosted by Morgan Carroll and Karin Asensio) Tuesday, April 7, 2020 @ 6:00pm MST Precinct organizers (formerly known as PCPs or Precinct Committee Persons) are the heartbeat of organizing at the grassroots. They are community leaders and are indispensable to Democrats winning in November! Learn some tips and tricks by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
|
Messaging and Combating Disinformation Training (Hosted by Halisi Vinson and David Pourshoushtari) Monday, April 27, 2020 @ 6:00pm MST Precinct organizers (formerly known as PCPs or Precinct Committee Persons) are the heartbeat of organizing at the grassroots. They are community leaders and are indispensable to Democrats winning in November! Learn some tips and tricks by clicking here to sign up for this webinar! |
|
Volunteer of the Week |
|
|
|
|
The Volunteer of the Week is Dane from Pueblo County! If you’ve ever checked out the Pueblo County Democrats’ webpage, you’ve noticed how informative, clear, and easy to use it is. That’s the work of Dane, their volunteer IT guy who is also on the Communications Committee. Pueblo Dems are honoring Dane’s work by voting him Democrat of the Year, an award he’ll receive at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. He greatly appreciates the team of volunteers he works with, and they think he’s invaluable! |
|
Dane is a very committed Democrat, having started volunteering for the Democrats in 2008 by doing data entry. He has since expanded to the phone banks and registering voters along Pueblo’s charming Riverwalk. As a volunteer, he found it important to register voters no matter what their party affiliation, because he believes that the vote should be available to all citizens. He finds it very satisfying to solve tricky computer problems and learn new skills as he brainstorms with Communications Director Breta Ross on how to make the website the best possible introduction to the Pueblo Democrats. In the process, he’s explored more advanced coding and even graphics, to make the page eye-catching for its visitors. And he’s grateful to his fellow volunteers for giving him the opportunity to help, then pushing him a bit to expand his repertoire! |
|
Dane’s advice to other Colorado volunteers is this: do what you’re interested in and good at, and just walk into a campaign office and ask! There will always be something for you to do. You need not limit yourself to one thing, either: he himself thought he only wanted to do data entry, but he surprised himself with his ability to meet other voters and even make phone calls. After years of volunteering, he really enjoys his range of activities with several committees in the Pueblo County Democrats, and he’s made himself indispensable to all of them. We congratulate Dane Winberg, Pueblo County’s Democrat of the Year! |
|
Do you want to volunteer? Reach out to our volunteer coordinator Karin Asensio at [email protected], and see how YOU CAN GET INVOLVED! |
|
Dems Leading the Way |
|
Bennet Leads on Ranked Choice Voting |
|
|
Photo Credit: Alex Edelman/Getty Images |
|
Bennet promotes Ranked Choice Voting as partial cure to 'partisan fever' From Colorado Politics
"U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is sponsoring legislation that would help defray the costs that states might incur should they make a transition to ranked choice voting, hoping that the election method will dampen a hyperpartisan political atmosphere across the country.
"Momentum is building behind RCV as more governments nationwide are experimenting with the idea, but the system has had mixed results in Colorado.
"One of the most popular election methods is plurality voting, in which the candidate with the most votes in a single casting of ballots is the winner. In plurality voting the winner does not necessarily need to have a majority — 50 percent plus one vote — to prevail.
"In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton won a plurality of votes in Colorado but not a majority, yet the plurality was enough for her to win the state's nine Electoral College votes.
"The other popular election method is majority voting. If no candidate wins 50 percent plus one vote, a runoff is held between the top two vote getters.
"In a hypothetical race with five candidates using RCV, the voter would rank their preferences one through five. When the ballots are counted, if a candidate comes away with a majority after the initial count, that candidate is the winner. But in the event that does not happen, a new process is implemented whereby a new vote tally is created.
|
|
|
|
DeGette Works to Make COVID-19 Testing Free |
|
|
Photo Credit: House Television via AP |
|
Colorado congresswoman moves to make coronavirus testing free nationwide From the Denver Post
"U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, introduced congressional legislation Tuesday that would require health insurers to cover the full cost of coronavirus tests.
"The bill would add coronavirus testing to the Affordable Care Act’s list of preventive health services that insurers are required to cover at no cost to patients. That list currently includes many vaccines and screenings, such as flu shots and mammograms.
"'We are on the cusp of a worldwide pandemic,' DeGette said in a statement. 'In order to effectively curb the spread of this virus here in the U.S., we must increase testing immediately. No patient should hesitate getting a test done if a doctor thinks it’s necessary because of the cost.'
"The bill would apply to private health insurance plans issued through employers as well as health plans on the Affordable Care Act exchange.
"President Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps to list the coronavirus test as an essential health benefit under the ACA. That is different than listing it as a preventive health service, as DeGette’s bill would do. Essential benefits must be covered by insurers but patients can be billed for the procedures, whereas preventive services must be covered at no cost to patients.
"The DeGette bill does not have a Republican co-sponsor but would need Republican support to pass the Senate. It is co-sponsored by Rep. Donna Shalala, a Florida Democrat and former health and human services secretary."
|
|
|
|
Crow meets with Well-Known Health Care Advocate |
|
|
|
|
Polis Shows Steady Leadership in Wake of COVID-19 |
|
|
Photo Credit: Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post |
|
As the situation with coronavirus has escalated, one silver lining that's popped out for folks is the leadership of Governor Jared Polis.
President Trump's Wednesday night address has been universally panned, filled with falsehoods that's thrown both his administration and the stock market into chaos. Meanwhile, Governor Polis' steady leadership of listening to the facts, being straight with the public, and showing a calm demeanor has earned praise by reporters across the board. |
|
|
|
|
While it is true that Colorado's in a state of emergency and is working furiously to make contingencies to help us combat COVID-19, what we've seen from Governor Polis is further proof that elections matter. Electing an individual who can be a leader and who keep the ship steady in the face of a crisis is -- especially times like these -- so very important. And, as we've seen with the current President, an election of someone woefully unprepared or corrupt can lead to horrible consequences. |
|
|
|
Dave Young Tackles Retirement for Workers |
|
|
Photo Credit: AAon Ontiveroz/The Denver Post |
|
Colorado considers retirement savings program that would automatically enroll almost a million workers
"The roughly 40% of Colorado workers whose employers offer no retirement savings plan would be automatically enrolled in an IRA program under a new bill Democrats introduced Monday.
"This bill, dubbed 'Secure Savings' by Democrats, would affect nearly a million Colorado workers, said first-term Treasurer Dave Young. A study commissioned by a state study group Young chaired found it would save Colorado safety-net programs about $10 billion over the next 15 years by boosting the savings accounts of retirees who’d no longer need to rely as heavily on those programs.
"'What’s happening is people don’t save for retirement,' Young said in an interview Monday. 'They think they can have a sustainable retirement just on Social Security, and that can’t happen.'
"Living off of government assistance programs for housing and food, Young said, is 'an undignified retirement.'
"The bill is the result of recommendations from the group Young chaired, and it has long been a priority for Democrats here, who ran unsuccessful bills in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The legislature was split in those years, but now Democrats control the governor’s office and majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly."
|
On The Road! |
|
.jpg "Image")
|
We were happy to host students from Bear Creek High School who wanted to learn about registering and pre-registering to vote, and learning about why being involved is so important! On Saturday, CDP staff was on deck to receive results from counties about their precinct caucuses! |
|
|
|
|
Share the Dispatch |
|
If you know someone interested in receiving our weekly newsletter, they can sign up here! |
|
|
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
|
|
|
