Municipal election options

Aspen City Council is considering whether to move the general municipal election from March to November and coordinate it with Pitkin County. Council wants to hear from the public before deciding. Currently, Aspen elects its mayor and council every two years in March; a runoff is held in April if council candidates fall short of 45% + 1 or the mayoral candidate falls short of 50% + 1.

The following matrix is intended to provide context around potential implications on different election timing scenarios. After reading through the following options, please complete the survey on this page below and select your preferred option.

	Option 1: March election, run by the City, April runoff if needed	Option 2: November election with the County, December runoff run by the City or an outside vendor	Option 3: November election run by the County, no runoff
Voter participation	Standalone elections typically draw fewer voters than in November. Some regular November voters may not participate; those who do may be more engaged in local issues.	November turnout is significantly higher. Runoff turnout has typically dropped 18–25% from the general election; the effect of Thanksgiving timing is unknown.	Higher November turnout reaches more occasional voters. With no runoff, there is no second election for turnout to drop off.
Campaign timing & candidates	Campaigns run in the busy winter season, but candidates don’t compete with state and federal advertising. Forums and local media are easier to access.	Candidates compete with high-profile races for attention. A runoff offers another look at the remaining candidates, but campaigning over Thanksgiving and the holidays is harder.	Candidates compete with high-profile races for attention. In a crowded field without a runoff, a candidate could win with a small share of the vote.
Ballot length	Aspen-only ballot; voters can focus on local issues.	City races appear at the end of a potentially long ballot. Some voters skip those contests (“undervoting”), and local issues may get less coverage.	Same as Option 2.
Winning threshold	Majority required (45% + 1 for council, 50% + 1 for mayor); runoff if needed.	Majority required (45% + 1 for council, 50% + 1 for mayor); runoff if needed. If needed, the runoff would be held on the second Tuesday in December due to County certification timing.	Most votes wins (plurality). Runoffs have changed the outcome twice in more than two decades.
Election administration	City Clerk’s Office runs the election and any runoff, keeping local control. Requires roughly 180 hours of overtime from staff and volunteers.	County runs November; City or an outside vendor runs the runoff before the County certifies results, which could confuse voters. Two entities, two elections.	County runs one election with one certification.
Cost to the City	Nearly $73,000 for the election and runoff.	$3,760–$15,000 to the County (varies with ballot word count), plus the cost of a runoff, if needed. Runoff cost not yet estimated.	$3,760–$15,000 to the County. No runoff cost.
Accessibility & convenience	Voters are familiar with the March–April cycle.	Voters may need to return for a second election. Public education would be needed on dates and who runs each election.	Voters cast one ballot alongside county, state and federal contests.

For additional information, please visit the Documents section on the right-hand side of the page to find the 2025 White Paper, two council memos, and video of council discussions.

	Option 1: March election, run by the City, April runoff if needed	Option 2: November election with the County, December runoff run by the City or an outside vendor	Option 3: November election run by the County, no runoff
Voter participation	Standalone elections typically draw fewer voters than in November. Some regular November voters may not participate; those who do may be more engaged in local issues.	November turnout is significantly higher. Runoff turnout has typically dropped 18–25% from the general election; the effect of Thanksgiving timing is unknown.	Higher November turnout reaches more occasional voters. With no runoff, there is no second election for turnout to drop off.
Campaign timing & candidates	Campaigns run in the busy winter season, but candidates don’t compete with state and federal advertising. Forums and local media are easier to access.	Candidates compete with high-profile races for attention. A runoff offers another look at the remaining candidates, but campaigning over Thanksgiving and the holidays is harder.	Candidates compete with high-profile races for attention. In a crowded field without a runoff, a candidate could win with a small share of the vote.
Ballot length	Aspen-only ballot; voters can focus on local issues.	City races appear at the end of a potentially long ballot. Some voters skip those contests (“undervoting”), and local issues may get less coverage.	Same as Option 2.
Winning threshold	Majority required (45% + 1 for council, 50% + 1 for mayor); runoff if needed.	Majority required (45% + 1 for council, 50% + 1 for mayor); runoff if needed. If needed, the runoff would be held on the second Tuesday in December due to County certification timing.	Most votes wins (plurality). Runoffs have changed the outcome twice in more than two decades.
Election administration	City Clerk’s Office runs the election and any runoff, keeping local control. Requires roughly 180 hours of overtime from staff and volunteers.	County runs November; City or an outside vendor runs the runoff before the County certifies results, which could confuse voters. Two entities, two elections.	County runs one election with one certification.
Cost to the City	Nearly $73,000 for the election and runoff.	$3,760–$15,000 to the County (varies with ballot word count), plus the cost of a runoff, if needed. Runoff cost not yet estimated.	$3,760–$15,000 to the County. No runoff cost.
Accessibility & convenience	Voters are familiar with the March–April cycle.	Voters may need to return for a second election. Public education would be needed on dates and who runs each election.	Voters cast one ballot alongside county, state and federal contests.

For additional information, please visit the Documents section on the right-hand side of the page to find the 2025 White Paper, two council memos, and video of council discussions.

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Page last updated: 12 Oct 2026, 10:09 AM

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