DENVER TRIES GOVERNING BY POLLING
In a recent poll conducted by the Colorado Polling Institute and released by a nonpartisan nonprofit, it was found that Denver voters are evenly divided on the direction of the city. 44% of likely voters believe that Denver is heading in the right direction, while another 44% feel that things are going off track. Approximately 13% of respondents were unsure.
The poll identified homelessness and housing affordability as the top concerns for voters, followed by crime and public safety, as well as the cost of living. Interestingly, more than two-thirds of those surveyed stated that they feel safe in Denver, and a similar majority supported the city's homeless encampment sweeps.
Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of voters expressed support for reducing the number of terms served by elected officials from three to two. In terms of voting methods, those who had an opinion on ranked-choice voting favored it by a ratio of two-to-one for municipal elections.
The survey was conducted by Democratic polling firm Aspect Strategic and Republican pollster Cygnal and gathered responses from 414 likely 2024 general election voters in Denver. It utilized live calls and text-to-web questionnaires between August 17 and 18. The margin of error for the poll is plus-or-minus 4.72%.
Among the voter priorities, addressing homelessness was considered a priority by 51% of respondents, making it the leading issue for most groups, except for voters aged 18-29 who ranked housing affordability as their primary concern. Overall, 41% of voters prioritized housing affordability, 34% identified crime and public safety, and 32% highlighted the cost of living. Other concerns such as traffic, road quality, climate, and the environment received single-digit support.
Regarding newly elected Mayor Mike Johnston, 46% of voters viewed him favorably, while 22% held an unfavorable opinion. A significant portion of respondents (28%) had no opinion, and 3.5% were unfamiliar with him. Johnston's plans to address homelessness garnered positive marks from 34% of voters, negative marks from 20%, and 41% remaining undecided.
The poll also included questions about different Denver institutions. The Denver City Council received a favorable view from 38% of respondents, an unfavorable view from 34%, with the rest having no opinion or being unaware of the institution.
The Denver Police Department had a divided response, with 51% expressing a favorable view and 43% an unfavorable one. In contrast, Denver International Airport enjoyed broad popularity, with 71% holding a favorable view and 23% an unfavorable one. Finally, the Regional Transit received solidly positive feedback, with 55% expressing a favorable view and 30% expressing an unfavorable view.