DENVER | During the high-stakes, high-anxiety 2024 election, Coloradans polled by Voter Voices were consistent about their top concern: democracy and good government.

That’s the top result from the more than 7,200 people who weighed in at any point from early spring through this week.

Their other main issues? The economy, climate and environment, immigration and abortion.

But dig into the details of who took the poll and the top issues, and their rankings change, rising and falling with age, gender and politics. The younger the voter, the higher the priority of “social justice and equity.” Women ranked abortion much higher than men. Conservatives ranked immigration and personal freedom higher than liberals and moderates.

Still, “democracy and good government” — including preserving and protecting the rule of law and access to voting, finding the balance between national security and individual liberty, stopping the erosion of civility and compromise — dominated Voter Voices’ responses.

“Without democracy, we have no say, no civil rights, no human rights. It all depends on democracy or nothing else will work,” wrote Grand Junction resident Maria Cuthbert, a Latina who identifies as politically liberal.

Sean Pond, a registered Republican from Nucla, said democracy has moved away from people power and toward government dictates.

“I believe in the right of all Americans to choose,” Pond said in an interview. “I don’t think the federal government, the state government, should be telling people, whether they’re male or female, what to do in any of their personal choices.”

Conservatives who completed the Voter Voices survey were significantly more likely than liberals to say they did not trust the national election to be conducted fairly. However, people across the political spectrum showed much more confidence in the reliability and security of Colorado’s election system.

The anxiety, frustration and uncertainty reflected in the responses mirror the findings a recent New York Times/Siena College poll in which three-quarters of respondents said democracy was under threat. And, like that survey, how and why threats are colored by political affiliation.

Voters’ voices was an effort led by the Colorado News Collaborative and Colorado Public Radio. More than 60 Colorado newsrooms participated, including Colorado Sentinelasking voters in their communities what they wanted the candidates to talk about as they competed for their votes. The thousands of community responses were used by local newsrooms to inform election stories, voter guides, candidate forums and Colorado polls.

The poll was not a scientific poll, and the overall ranking of voters’ top issues reflects respondents’ tilt toward older white women — the same population that is generally more likely to vote. The responses also lean to the left, a reflection in part of where most Coloradans live — the blue Front Range.

But the poll also drew many hundreds of responses from rural voters, conservative voters, young voters and those who identified as Latino, black, Asian, indigenous or members of other communities of color – groups which together constituted more than a quarter of all responses. and whose experiences with key issues, such as the cost of living, immigration or the environment, influence their priorities in ways that may differ from the larger group of responses.

Ask for written answers to the question, “What do you want candidates to focus on as they compete for your vote?” and a more detailed picture of how Coloradans see the stakes of this election is emerging. So is where conservatives, liberals, and moderates find a sliver of agreement: a desire—or outright demand—for elected officials to break free from the grip of hyperpartisanship and work together with civility and common sense.

AURORA SENTINEL READER COMMENT

JTM: They have a plan to push the fringe voices and conspiracy theories from both the far left and the far right back to the sidelines of the discussion and stop letting them drive the train.

FG: Do you think the 2020 election was stolen?

LGM: How they will preserve democracy instead of degrading the US into a theocracy.

CR: Why is it so hard for politicians to talk to each other to try to get a solution to some problems?

CL: Immigration: What is their plan for securing the border and background checks on those already here illegally.

MK: Would you support electing Supreme Court justices rather than appointing them by the president?

GE: I’d like to hear some realistic solutions to homelessness and migrant issues that address the problem without demeaning those affected.

IT: Local candidates on what they will do to reduce crime. States and feds, I want to hear what they are going to do about spending and immigration issues.

OL: I would love to hear more of a vision of how things will be better. I would like to hear about plans to bring people together to work for the common good. I would like to see candidates called out for partisanship and division.

MC: I want them to recognize that at all levels of government, legislation is largely passed along party lines. I want to know what legislation from the opposite party would work with a bipartisan compromise.

HG: What will you do to give the police the support and funding they need to provide adequate staffing and training and keep our citizens safe? How will you crack down on drug use and prevent homeless people from camping in public areas?

MSSH: How will they preserve democracy, ensure that all eligible people have the ability to vote and that every individual and business pays their fair share of taxes?

DC: I’m tired of not getting straight answers to questions. I want to know HOW they plan to do the things they promise. I want to know WHERE the money is coming from. And I want to know how he plans to show the electorate what success looks like.

As one Rio Grande County woman said, “Republicans are not always right and not all Democrats are always right. There needs to be a balance somewhere in the middle.”

Here’s more about what Voter Voices respondents said they want the candidates to focus on.

“The truth about the economy is important and how it affects everyday people every day,” said a moderate woman from Arapahoe County. “As someone who once thought I would be middle class and it would be easy, I no longer believe that is possible.”

“To address how they see the Constitution guiding their role in government,” one Wiggins conservative wrote. “I would also like them to declare their plans to gain control of the bureaucracy and return it to the legislature instead of unelected bureaucrats.”

A man who identified himself as a Liberal from Brighton said he wanted to hear “discussions about (the candidates’) policies on the economy, immigration and the conflict in Israel. Not just vague beating around the bush, as politicians are inclined to do most of the time, but giving people an idea of ​​what their plans look like in development.”

“None of the issues will matter if we don’t have a democracy,” said one Longmont moderate. “I worry as a black man with a biracial son and daughter if their rights are going to be violated, not to mention my own.”

“Tax reform!” wrote a Craig man who identified himself as a liberal. “I’m on a low income and I live in a caravan because I can’t afford the rent prices or the cost of buying a place. I’d like to see the rich pay their fair share instead of getting all these tax breaks/deductions.”

“How will they work WITH Congress to lower costs for Americans while strengthening our border and helping our allies in ways that are productive for everyone involved,” said a young conservative voter in Jefferson County.

“To me, a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is the most important right to protect,” wrote one liberal woman from Denver. “I feel fortunate to live in a state that recognizes this, yet I feel that Dobbs’ decision made me less than a full citizen of our country. As long as every woman in the country can’t get vital medical care, that will be the most important issue.”

A woman from Silverthorne wrote: “Although people won’t see it, the health of planet Earth is the most important issue today. If we don’t have a planet capable of supporting 9 billion people, all other issues, social, economic, political, become moot.”

“I think water is the biggest issue affecting Colorado,” said a liberal woman from Aurora. “I also think we’ve created our own housing problems by allowing developers to build units at the upper end and not making sure that the housing development matches the income levels of those who live in the community.”

Water was also a top priority for Conservative Sterling, who highlighted its role in “protecting our agriculture, which is so vital to the Eastern Plains and West Slope.”

“I think America’s role in the world is a critical issue that the government needs to address in the coming years,” said a Littleton moderate. “Global poverty has been swept under the rug for far too long, and it will take mass movements of awareness and mobilization to really make an impact.”

“I would like to know how they plan to stop mass migration at both the southern and northern borders,” wrote one conservative man from Grand Junction. “I’d also like to know how he plans to reduce deficit spending and work to balance the budget.”

Immigration is a concern, wrote an older Lafayette woman, but for her the solution lies in fixing the legal immigration system. “Our family went to that trial in California in the ’50s. We were Canadians and I feel like the system is so broken now and it’s not fair to those who want to go legal.”

“Given the two assassination attempts on the GOP nominee and 394 mass shootings in 2024, why are the candidates opposed to modernizing gun background checks with a computerized system, required licensing and training, and red flag enforcement?” asked a woman from Denver.

“Respecting an individual’s right to decide what is best for them. Our nation is polarized because we judge others’ choices (abortion, gun ownership, religious beliefs, etc…),” said one Lone Tree moderate.

And speaking for many respondents, she added: “There is a lack of common sense at the expense of our future.”

You can find out where your vote has the biggest impact democracy and good governance, economy and cost of living, housingTHE environment and climate, immigration and abortion following the links. Our voter guide is also here to help.

Tina Griego is the managing editor of the Colorado News Collaborative. Megan Verlee, public affairs editor at Colorado Public Radio, contributed to this story. You can learn more about the Voter Voice project Here.

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