Ballots are in the mail for Pueblo's mayoral runoff election
Pueblo is now one step closer to knowing who is going to lead the city for the next four years.
Ballots are being mailed out to voters starting Jan. 2 for the upcoming mayoral runoff election, which is an all-mail election.
There will be only one question on the ballot for the special municipal election. Voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Nick Gradisar or City Council President Heather Graham, who received nearly 500 more votes than Gradisar in the initial election in November.
How you can return your ballot
All active registered voters within Pueblo city limits should receive ballots for the runoff election in the mail. City Clerk Marisa Stoller has previously urged voters to return their ballots as soon as possible to ensure they are received in time.
Ballots must be received — not postmarked — by 7 p.m. on Jan. 23.
There are four secure ballot drop-boxes that will be open around the city:
Colorado State Fairgrounds, 950 S. Prairie Ave., outside the Prairie Avenue gate
Pueblo County Courthouse, 215 W. 10th St., on the west side of Court Street
Colorado State University Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd., access from Gonzales Drive by the fountain
Lamb Branch Library, 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd., behind the building
A ballot drop box will also be open in front of the city clerk’s office at City Hall.
Staff in the clerk’s office will be able to assist voters with election questions or securing replacement ballots.
More: Everything you need to know about voting in Pueblo's mayoral runoff election in January
Why there’s a runoff election
Pueblo’s current system of government — a strong mayor system that mirrors the state and federal governmental setup of the executive and legislative branches — has only been in place for a few years since a city charter amendment was approved in 2017. Gradisar campaigned for the changed city government structure and is the city’s first mayor in recent memory.
The city charter states that a mayoral candidate must receive at least 50% of votes to be elected. If no candidate reaches that threshold in a municipal election, the two candidates with the most votes proceed to a runoff.
In the crowded field of nine candidates in November, Gradisar and Graham's combined vote totals comprised less than half of the total vote share.
If re-elected, Gradisar would not be allowed to seek an additional consecutive term as mayor, per the city charter.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo runoff election for mayor is underway; ballots mailed Tuesday
