Group aims to increase voter turnout for Coloradans in Aurora's East Colfax area
A group in Aurora is encouraging residents along East Colfax Avenue to vote in the upcoming election. Ward 1 is one of the most diverse areas in the country with more than 120 languages represented, and it has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the state.
"These are people who are often shut out of the of the democratic process and the election process yet are some of the most impacted by the outcomes of the elections," said Bruno Tapia with Denver Aurora Tenants United.
Tapia is also a member of the Grassroots Leadership Council, a coalition of non-partisan organizations that do not support or oppose any candidates or political parties.
The GLC is working to break through language and access barriers by creating multilingual opportunities for At Large and Mayoral City Council candidates to connect with the residents.
The GLC gave candidates a questionnaire on issues impacting Ward 1, like homelessness, public safety and housing.
Their answers will be translated into several languages including Amharic, Karen, Burmese, Pulaar, Swahili and Spanish and mailed directly to neighbors.
"The voter guide that we've put together brings issues and questions that we've heard directly from our community. We've done canvassing and polling, we've worked directly with community members on the issues of housing, homelessness, immigration, public safety," said Tapia. "This voter guide will be an opportunity for candidates to be clear about these issues to speak directly to the most important things for people in Ward 1."
The GLC also has a Voter Education campaign that targets local places of worship and apartment complexes with canvassers who speak more than ten languages. Volunteers have been spending their weekends knocking on hundreds of doors and they've been successful getting people registered to vote.
"We're here to say, 'you do have power, Your vote matters. Your voice matters.' And only a collective effort of all of us can change the things that are issues here," said Tapia.
An Aurora City Council Multilingual Candidate forum will be hosted in partnership with the Dayton St Opportunity Center (1445 Dayton Street, Aurora) on Oct. 26 from 6-8 p.m.
