Some report defaced voter guides

Boco Dems information contains pro CU South measure literature

For years, the CU South project has driven conversation and often divided the community in Boulder.

Despite the fact that Boulder City Council approved the annexation agreement that directs flood mitigation and potential future development on the 308-acre property owned by the University of Colorado Boulder, voters will face a ballot measure on Nov. 2 and likely a referendum that could repeal the council’s decision in 2022.

Now, the matter is driving a wedge within the Boulder County Democratic Party.

The Boco Dems officially opposed Ballot Measure 302, which, among other things, would require a vote ahead of annexation, in its voter guide. The party did not take a position on the other two Boulder residentinitiated ballot measures: Bedrooms Are For People and the Humane Clothing Act.

A majority of the party’s executive committee, made of 150 community leaders from across the county, voted to oppose the measure, according to Chair Raffi Mercuri. That the party decided to take a position at

all is an indication of its widespread agreement on the matter, he noted.

“The process is judicious, and the executive committee is very considerate about what we … put on that voter guide,” Mercuri said. “”It shows that there’s a clear consensus among the executive committee.”

While the executive committee reached a consensus on the matter, some have been disappointed with the decision. Two of 383 active precinct leaders resigned because of the party’s position on Ballot Measure 302, Mercuri said.

Further, when the voter guide arrived at some people’s doorstep, it sometimes included literature in support of the ballot measure, commonly known as Let the Voters Decide on Annexation of CU South.

At least one precinct captain — those who are tasked with distributing materials within neighborhoods — included a personal letter, sharing a different perspective on the measure.

And in several other instances, the person who distributed the voter guide crossed out the Dems’ opinion with a black marker.

“Frankly, we’ve dealt with controversial city issues before,” Mercuri said. “This is the first time anything like this has happened to my knowledge.”

The party works hard on the voter guide and the volunteers front the cost, Mercuri noted.

“These are people who have the trust of the party, and they betrayed that trust when they defaced our voter guide and our materials,” he said.

Precinct captain Mary Pettigrew included a note explaining her perspective within the voter guides she was tasked with distributing.

“I am happy to support the Boulder County Dems by delivering this Voter Guide,” the letter reads. “However, I feel strongly that the Party’s decision on Ballot Issue 302 is not the right one.”

Though Pettigrew included a letter with her position, she did not mark through the party’s stance on the guide itself. She also signed her name to the letter that was included in the guide.

“I felt like it was clearly my perspective,” Pettigrew said. “It seemed that it warranted it, in my opinion.”

She knew her decision to include the letter could upset the Boco Dems but said she felt it was important to include it anyway. Pettigrew has reservations about the CU South project and argues the council should have waited until the election to vote on the annexation agreement.

Still, despite her difference in opinion, Pettigrew said she did not support those who decided to draw over the party’s position within the guide and would not have done so herself.

“That wouldn’t appeal to me,” she said. “I appreciate they go to a lot of work to make these voter guides happen.”

But some residents, particularly those who received voter guides that had been defaced, expressed serious concerns.

Tantra Lakes resident Tim Thomas was one of those who received a voter guide with the Boco Dems’ position on Ballot Measure 302 blacked out. He said he intended to provide the information to the Boulder Police Department, the entity tasked with determining whether a crime has been committed. The Camera could not verify on Monday whether any complaints about the voter guide had been filed with the police.

“At the very least, this is electoral disinformation,” Thomas said.

Two main groups — Save South Boulder and PLANBoulder County — were involved with gathering signatures for the ballot measure and have been campaigning in favor of it.

However, Marki Lecompte, co-chair of Save South Boulder, said the groups did not encourage members to include campaign flyers when distributing the voter guide or to mark through its position.

“The Boco Dems paid for that voter guide,” she said. “It would have been inappropriate for us to participate in defacing it.

“It’s like defacing yard signs and stealing yard signs,” Lecompte added. “We have really, really tried to bend over backward to take the high road over everything.”

Moving forward, the Boco Dems are considering possible next steps in response to the incident, Mercuri said.

“It’s a huge betrayal when someone takes it upon themselves to usurp the will of their party,” he said.