We asked: ‘What is important to you in this election?’ Here’s some of what we’ve heard so far • Colorado Newsline

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A month ago, newsrooms across the state launched an ambitious project: invite Coloradans to tell us what they think politicians should talk about in this election, and use their answers to guide the stories we tell.

So far, more than 3,100 people from across the state have responded to that call and completed the Voter Voices survey.

“I would like to see the candidates focus not only on our rights as Americans, but also on our duties to be informed, engaged, open to compromise, civil and nonviolent. In other words, to put our country first,” wrote Sydney Schnurr of Buena Vista, who cited Richard Haass’ book “The Bill of Obligations” as an influence.

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“What the US can do to make the world more stable” is the question candidates must answer, according to a man in Fort Collins. “The employment rate is almost at pre-COVID-19 levels. What can be done to bring prices down after a 9% increase in 2022 – it’s great that inflation is now ONLY 3% per year, but prices are still 20-30% higher than in 2019.”

Coloradans who have taken our survey so far make it clear that they want politicians to discuss issues like the environment, housing affordability, immigration, health care and education.

In Walsh, on the southeastern plains, a shortage of health care workers is a major concern for Rita Hetrick. She runs the long-term care facility in the town of about 540 residents. Instead of relying on local staff, she relies on expensive employment agencies. “We don’t have a funding stream that is only available if you are a small, rural institution.” Hetrick told Voter Voices that state and federal regulations are exacerbating the problem and are something politicians are eager to address.

Many have also written about their concerns about our democracy itself.

“I want the candidates to discuss massive reform of our country’s and Colorado’s constitution,” wrote Juan Manuel Ramirez Anzures of Denver. “We need to revise them to include reforms such as more seats, immediate elections, robust publicly financed elections and proportional representation.”

We also ask how much confidence people have in elections, both in the way they are conducted in Colorado and across the country. Those who have responded so far tell us they have great confidence in our state’s election system, but there are many more questions about whether the election will be conducted fairly nationally.

The Voter Voices survey is conducted by 60 newsrooms statewide, including Colorado Newsline, from Fort Collins to Pueblo, Salida and Alamosa and from Sterling and Kiowa to Grand Junction, Durango and Nucla.

As Regan Tuttle, owner and editor of the San Miguel Basin Forum, put it: “My community is very remote and rural. They tend to feel like no one is listening. I felt that the survey would give them the opportunity to speak and feel heard…”

The project is led by the nonprofit Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) and CPR.

The survey will remain open throughout this year’s election campaigns as newsrooms continue to capture the priorities of their communities and present what we learn to our readers and listeners.

The goal is not only to respond to what Coloradans statewide and locally say they care about in our election reporting, but also to challenge candidates to respond directly to voters’ priorities and concerns.

We invite you to not only complete but also pass on the Voter Voices survey; share the link with others you know whose opinions we should hear. You can also find out if your newsroom is participating and connect directly to the research here.

CPR Audience Editor Stephanie Rivera contributed to this report.