From the editor: Thanks for supporting vital election coverage in the Coloradoan

Elections are vital to democracy, and so is local news.

Beginning in September, Coloradoan senior reporters Rebecca Powell, Pat Ferrier and Kelly Lyell began planning the extensive, exclusive coverage of the 2023 election that readers have seen at Coloradoan.com and in our print editions since mid-October.

With statewide Propositions HH and II carrying major tax implications for all Coloradans, and local races for Fort Collins City Council, Poudre School District's Board of Education and more, we had our work cut out for us to get need-to-know information in front of voters by the time county clerks began mailing ballots on Oct. 16.

Today, as Election Day approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 7, I'm exceedingly proud of the effort this team has undertaken to inform voters across Larimer County and the state. If you're still holding on to your ballot and need information to help with your decisions, visit our 2023 Election Central page at Coloradoan.com. There, you'll find links to more than 60 articles and candidate questionnaires about the statewide and local races that will be decided in Larimer County and Windsor.

2023 Fort Collins voter guide: What to know about Fort Collins, PSD, statewide races

Of course, our work isn't done yet. Once voters complete their assignment to turn in their ballots by 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Coloradoan's election team will be live at campaign parties and providing real-time coverage of the election results as they're released. Be sure to visit Coloradoan.com on Tuesday and Wednesday for updated results, and watch for Thursday's print edition for roundups of the winners and losers, along with analysis of what's next for Fort Collins, PSD and Colorado.

The fact-based coverage provided by Powell, Ferrier and Lyell is essential journalism, and I'm proud to report that others in our community agree. We've seen a significant uptick in new digital subscriptions in October into November. To all of those who have joined to support this work, thank you. Your backing will help ensure a future for local news in Fort Collins and Larimer County.

I'd also invite anyone else to support local journalism in Fort Collins and access all of our election coverage for as little as $1 for six months of digital access to Coloradoan.com and our daily e-edition print replica by visiting subscribe.coloradoan.com today.

American Press Institute grant provides Spanish-language translation

I have special thanks to share this holiday season, as a grant from the American Press Institute has allowed us to provide some of our election coverage in Spanish for the first time in the more than 11 years that I've worked at the Coloradoan.

Local translator Ally Eden has graciously provided time and talent to this effort, which you can find online for Spanish-language information on how to vote, along with translations of our Proposition II, Fort Collins ballot issues and Loveland grocery tax race previews. We'll look to add some post-election stories into the mix as we're able.

Over the years, I've said that the Coloradoan's lack of a Spanish speaker on staff is one of our consistent skills gaps. While I expect to have more on that front for readers in early 2024, it's been a great opportunity to start building the groundwork for more potential Spanish-language content. All of our translated stories are being provided free to all readers, so please do share them with anyone who you think might benefit ahead of the election.

2024 election fellows for Colorado, Wyoming to join Coloradoan

While our attention has been directed toward Nov. 7, it's clear that 2024 will be a year dominated by the national election cycle. With that in mind, the USA TODAY Network intends to bolster its elections and political reporting in the year ahead by hiring election reporting fellows across the nation.

Later in November, I'll introduce you to our Colorado election fellow. But for now, I could use readers' help in getting the word out to anyone in the Cheyenne area about our Wyoming elections reporting fellow posting at the Gannett Careers site. I'll be recruiting for this position in the month ahead, with an eye on adding someone to keep track of Wyoming's congressional delegation and statehouse beginning in early 2024.

Finally, welcome photojournalist Logan Newell!

This isn't election news, but it's never a bad time to say hello. Logan Newell joined us on Monday as our staff photojournalist, and we couldn't be happier to have him on board. Newell has done freelance work for us in the past, and we can't wait to see how he'll bring Fort Collins' stories to life in the days and months ahead, especially after he relocates to Fort Collins from the Denver area. Welcome, Logan!

Thanks for spending some time with me on these updates. Look for much more to come in the weeks and months ahead. And thanks, as always, for reading the Coloradoan.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Coloradoan bolsters election coverage, adds Spanish translation