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Make Sure You're Eligible To Win $1 Million From ColoradoAs Coloradans started researching their own records, many noticed their vaccinations were either not listed on the state’s website, or they were not listed as a known resident of Colorado. 8 hours ago<doc-sep>Denver’s Initiative 300, a measure that aimed to reverse the city’s 7-year-old urban camping ban, overwhelmingly went down to defeat — with 82.8 percent of voters saying “no” in results as of 1 a.m. Wednesday. I-300 would have allowed people to pitch tents, sleep in cars and use other types of shelter — including blankets — in public spaces. Proponents cast it as a basic human rights measure that will protect people experiencing homelessness, especially at a time when affordable housing in Denver has become increasingly difficult to find. But as the early results appeared on the projection screen in a community center in the Cole neighborhood Tuesday night, where I-300 supporters had gathered, shocked attendees turned silent. “This is a pretty massive disparity that we won’t be able to overcome,” Raffi Mercuri, organizer of the Right to Survive Initiative, said somberly. “I’m pretty shocked.” Mercuri thanked supporters, his voice cracking with emotion. Tears ran down the cheeks of several people in the crowd. “People on the streets will have their day,” he said. “We deserve better than this.” Detractors said I-300 doesn’t address the root causes of the housing affordability challenge and threatens to allow the spread of “inhumane” outdoor living conditions in Denver. They also say it would sacrifice the city’s control over public spaces that are designed to be enjoyed by everyone. However, there was little sense of glee at the Denver Press Club, where anti-300 group Together Denver gathered to watch results roll in Tuesday. A handful of supporters chatted with one another amongst “No on 300, We Can Do Better” campaign signs. Spokeswoman Alvina Vasquez said despite the positive results, this was not a night of celebration. “People want to solve this issue. We’re not saying there isn’t an issue,” she said. “What we learned from talking to people at neighborhood meetings is that people are concerned about this issue, but this isn’t the way to approach it.” While opposed to Denver’s urban camping ban, the Homeless Leadership Council wouldn’t get behind the Right to Survive measure, saying the initiative could “lower the prevailing standard of human welfare.” The council includes local leaders from Catholic Charities of Denver, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and The Salvation Army, among other human service agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union, on the other hand, endorsed I-300 late last month, saying it “ends the Denver camping ban and breaks the cycle of criminalizing homelessness.” At the ballot box Tuesday, 55-year-old Lorie Anthony said she only voted for one thing: to oppose the initiative to end the camping ban. About a year and a half ago, Anthony and her husband moved to Denver from Portland, Ore., where she says a similar law “destroyed the city of Portland.” It hurt the city environmentally and economically, she said. “But we do need to do something for the homeless for sure,” Anthony, a Highlands resident, said. Mary Maroon, who also lives in the Highlands, voted against Initiative 300 too, saying it’s “not really protecting the homeless.” Instead, the 70-year-old said more adequate housing, such as small homes, needs to be provided for those experiencing homelessness. Ryan Bakuinin, 30, took the opposite tack Tuesday. He rode up to the Swansea Recreation Center on a motorized scooter and plucked his ballot from a locked box in the front. His vote on 300 was yes. “Our city is criminalizing people for staying warm at night,” said Bakuinin, a River North resident. “It’s disgusting.” Tamar Rosenberg , who was dropping off her ballot at the William Scheitler Recreation Center in the city’s Berkeley neighborhood, also gave I-300 a yes vote. She said she feels for people who are forced to sleep in their cars — or worse, outside. “I feel not being harassed is important,” said Rosenberg, who has called Denver home for the past decade. Homelessness in Denver has been a hotly debated topic for the better part of a decade as the median rent in the metro area has mushroomed from $805 at the beginning of 2010 to nearly $1,500 by the end of 2018. That’s an increase of 82 percent, putting many homes out of financial reach to those at the lower end of the income scale. Perhaps it’s not a surprise then that the battle over Denver’s camping ban has become one of the most expensive political campaigns in the city’s history. Opposition group Together Denver had collected more than $2.3 million as of April 30, the most recent campaign finance reporting period, while Denver Right to Survive had taken in nearly $100,000 in that time backing the measure. The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative found that 3,445 people were without shelter in Denver as part of its point-in-time survey conducted in January of last year. That eclipsed the 2017 figure by more than 100 people. And the presence of those experiencing homelessness has become more visible in the city in recent years, with police conducting sweeps of homeless encampments and homeless advocates filing suit in federal court in response. Just last month, the city removed about 100 people who had settled around the intersections of Broadway, Lawrence Street and Park Avenue, according to Denver Homeless Out Loud, an organization that advocates for people experiencing homelessness. The sweep in the Five Points neighborhood came as Denver is in the final stages of settling a 2016 lawsuit that would require the city to give written notice seven days before removing people from public areas. The settlement awaits approval from a judge. Denver Post staff writers Sam Tabachnik and Jessica Seaman contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The effort to overturn the camping ban has failed and Michael Hancock is poised to face Jamie Giellis in a runoff election. DENVER — The city began to tally results for Tuesday’s municipal election starting at 7 p.m. Here’s a look at the results from the major races as of 5 a.m. 9NEWS Political Analyst Floyd Ciruli confirmed that Initiative 300 – which would have overturned Denver’s so-called camping ban – has failed. By failing to garner the necessary majority of the votes in Tuesday's election, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, meanwhile, looks poised to face-off against urban planner Jamie Giellis in a runoff. Those ballots will be tallied on June 4. Initiative 301, which would have decriminalized the use of "magic mushrooms" in Denver, looks poised to have failed as well. See a breakdown of the results from the major races below. For full results, click or tap here: bit.ly/2YaVpxp These two articles offer more details about the City Council and Clerk ratings: MAYOR Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told his supports that he expects to face challenger Jamie Giellis in a runoff election on June 4. He is the first incumbent to be forced to compete in a runoff since 1995. Here's a breakdown of the votes. Penfield Tate: 14.73% (26,213 votes) Michael B. Hancock (Incumbent): 38.65% (68,787 votes) Kalyn Rose Heffernan: 2.49% (4,431 votes) Jamie Giellis: 24.88% (44,279 votes) Stephan “Seku” Evans: 0.74% (1,311 votes) Lisa Calderon: 18.45% (32,839 votes) Write-in: 0.06% (115 votes) INITIATIVE 300 This initiative would have overturned Denver’s camping ban, and allow the homeless population to sleep in public spaces like parks and sidewalks, as long as the thoroughfares are not impassable. The fact this initiative failed means Denver police and Denver Public Works can ask people to leave public spaces and that sweeps of camping areas can continue. Yes: 18.78% (33,685 votes) No: 81.22% (145,649 votes) INITIATIVE 301 This initiative would decriminalize the small-time possession of psilocybin mushrooms by people more than 21 years old. Yes: 50.56% (89,320 votes) No: 49.44% (87,341 votes)<doc-sep>
Tuesday’s elections in Denver included an army of candidates and two first-in-the-nation ballot initiatives, offering voters several chances to disrupt the status quo. They took those opportunities, mostly. Voters turned out in record numbers: The total of 185,081 ballots cast was higher than for any municipal election in recent city history. About 39 percent of the city’s registered voters weighed in, the highest for a general municipal election since 1991. Together, they opened the door for potential changes to the city’s leadership. Four of the city’s leaders will have to defend their seats in a runoff election June 4 — including Mayor Michael Hancock and three council members. In a speech on Tuesday, a fired-up Hancock said he was ready to fight with his “back up against that wall.” RELATED: Denver election results 2019 It has been rare for incumbents to face a runoff in recent years. It last happened in the mayor’s race in 1995. And only one sitting council member, Susan Shepherd, has been defeated in recent years. Runoffs occur when no candidate achieves more than 50 percent of the vote. “There was a message sent last night,” said Denver political analyst Eric Sondermann. “This is a city very open to change right now.” Others credited the change to the city’s rapidly shifting population. “It’s an indication of the dynamic of the new people moving into the city,” said pollster and political consultant Rick Ridder. “… They’re not attached to anybody. There’s no attachment to the City Council person.” Meanwhile, voters demonstrated that they still have an appetite for liberal policies: They approved a new law that will decriminalize psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms. Still, the results were distressing to some in the city’s progressive circles. Initiative 300, the “Right to Survive” campaign, failed by a huge margin, with more than 81 percent of voters rejecting its attempt to guarantee new rights for people living in public spaces. “So we literally decriminalized mushrooms but not people experiencing homelessness,” tweeted voter Jessica Zender — a sentiment shared by others on social media. The well-funded opposition had warned that the broadly worded measure would hurt the city’s ability to manage encampments and offer services. “If you did that, it would turn into San Diego the next day,” said voter Brett Stamm, 35. Who’s still running? On Wednesday, the remaining candidates were gearing up for one last month-long sprint. Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman faces the starkest challenge: She trails candidate Amanda Sawyer in East Denver, where development concerns have riled suburban neighborhoods. Live election results There’s also Councilman Albus Brooks, who finished ahead of challenger Candi CdeBaca by only about 300 votes — 2 percentage points. CdeBaca has accused Brooks of siding with developers in the rapidly gentrifying district, while Brooks says he’s creating a model for growth that benefits the community. The runoff for mayor will pose a complicated question for some voters. Giellis has promised to rein in development and improve the city’s leadership, a theme that she shared with all of the challengers. But she, like Hancock, received significant campaign support from developers and neither of the other major candidates — Lisa Calderón and Penfield Tate — has pledged to support her. Giellis could use their help. Hancock ended up with 39 percent of the vote in the final tally. Giellis took 25 percent, followed by Calderón at 18 percent and Tate at 15 percent. If the same electorate shows up on June 4, Giellis would have to win over about 70 percent of the other challengers’ voters to beat Hancock. But she faces intense skepticism from some supporters of Calderón, in particular, because of her time as a leader in the River North development zone. Giellis says that she was hired to manage development, not encourage it. “Whoever wins, it still creates a Denver of haves and have-nots, and everyone else struggling to survive in the city,” said organizer Justine Sandoval, whose family is from northeast Denver. “I’m really, really just torn today, thinking about how I’m going to handle that situation. This is the worst possible outcome for me.”