Hello, Boulder. We’ll keep this update brief and local. Donald Trump won the nation’s highest office. Boulder County voted heavily in favor of Kamala Harris, with 79% to Trump’s 19%, as of ballots counted just after midnight.

The main takeaway from Boulder County races: few surprises. Democrats swept local contests, and voters appeared set to approve city ballot measures to raise council pay and allow private executive sessions. The measure on council authority over boards and commissions remains too close to call, reports John Herrick. Here’s a quick rundown:

Key races:

House District 10: Junie Joseph (D) defeated William DeOreo (R).
House District 49: Lesley Smith (D) won against Steve Ferrante (R).
Senate Districts 17 and 18: Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Judy Amabile, both Democrats, won decisively.
Closer race: In House District 19, Jillaire McMillan (D) is poised to beat Dan Woog (R).

Regional wins:

Kathy Gebhardt was elected to the State Board of Education.
Elliott Hood was elected to the CU Board of Regents.
Marta Loachamin and Claire Levy retained their Boulder County commissioner seats.

Statewide measures: Voters rejected ranked-choice voting (Prop 131) but approved Amendment 79 to protect abortion rights. Colorado also repealed its same-sex marriage ban. Amendment 80, a proposal to enshrine school choice in the state constitution, was set to fail, as was Prop 127, which would have prohibited killing mountain lions, bobcats and lynxes with certain exceptions.

For full results on national and state races, see our live coverage. Plus, some non-election local news below.

Take care, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you on Friday,

— The BRL team

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In other news

Winter weather advisory

Snow continues across Boulder and Denver until 11 p.m. Wednesday, with 2 to 9 inches expected. Hazardous travel conditions are likely. Temperatures will stay just above freezing, with highs near 40 and possible flurries Thursday.

More on constitutional amendment enshrining right to abortion

Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment last night (Amendment 79) that enshrines the right to abortion in the state. The measure lifts a ban on state and local funding for abortion, allowing Medicaid and other government health insurance programs to cover abortion services. While abortion has been legal in Colorado at all stages of pregnancy, the amendment adds an extra layer of protection.

In 2022, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law guaranteeing access to reproductive care before and after pregnancy and blocking local governments from setting their own abortion restrictions. Amending the state constitution requires at least 55% voter support. The Associated Press called the amendment’s approval at 8:27 p.m. MT. As of Wednesday morning, voters in Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, Montana and New York had also approved abortion rights amendments, while similar measures failed in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota, the AP reported.

Boulder to host memorial walk honoring traffic victims for World Day of Remembrance

Colorado communities are observing World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims this month with events calling for safer streets and stronger policies to prevent road-related deaths and injuries. Organized by a coalition of advocates, victims, survivors and local officials, the gatherings honor lives lost and push for meaningful policy change, according to Bicycle Colorado and It Could Be Me.

While Colorado’s traffic fatalities dropped slightly in 2023 (720 vs. 764 in 2022), serious injuries and deaths among vulnerable road users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians, rose. Local events include:

Boulder: Memorial Walk on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. in Downtown Boulder, hosted by the City of Boulder and It Could Be Me, featuring speeches by local officials and safety advocates.

Denver: Free concert on Nov. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., at City Park Pavilion with performances by Abraham Alexander and The Cheeks, hosted by Bicycle Colorado and Denver Streets Partnership.

Elks Lodge is not closing its outdoor pool for the winter – yet

After the Elks Lodge in North Boulder announced last month it would close its heated outdoor pool for the winter on Oct. 31, the pool remains open as the lodge is “working with the local community on a solution,” Elks Lodge Chairwoman Jan Stull told Boulder Reporting Lab this week.

The Boulder Elks outdoor pool has stayed open during the winter for the past six years and serves a devoted community of recreational swimmers, including the Elevation Swim Team’s youth and masters groups. The planned closure was due to a damaged boiler system that remains unrepaired because of delays with the insurance company, according to Stull. To keep the pool operational, the lodge has been renting boilers at a cost of $14,000 per month, which led to a $44,000 deficit last year, making it financially unsustainable. Some former board members dispute Stull’s claims about the insurance issue.

Originally, lodge leadership had hoped to resolve the boiler issues and reopen by spring. But the closure announcement prompted protests from swimmers and Elevation Athletics, which has a contract to rent pool space from the Elks year-round, leading leadership to reconsider ways to keep the pool open.

There are few other options for lap swimming in Boulder County. Elevation Athletics Director Stefanski said the team has 123 kids but has only been able to secure about 60% of the pool space it needs because of limited options in Boulder.

“We’ve already lost a third of our master’s membership because they’re tired of the pool being dirty and they’re not sure if the pool is going to be open,” he said, noting that he knows one masters swimmer with PTSD and several families with autistic children who rely on the Elks outdoor pool to avoid the noise of indoor pools.

Elevation Athletics has offered to manage the Elks aquatic center for the next five years, taking on costs and revenues involved in running the pool if the lodge can resolve the boiler issues with insurance, Stefanski said.

For now, Stefanski said he expects the pool will remain open at least until the end of November. For those seeking an alternative outdoor lap pool, the Flatirons Colorado Athletic Club is open year-round.

Moons & Planets Concert This Sunday in Boulder

Looking for a musical escape? This Sunday, Nov. 10, Macky Auditorium in Boulder presents Moons & Planets, a cosmic-themed concert featuring Holst’s The Planets and the world premiere of Moons of the Giants by local composer John Heins. Special guests include SpaceX astronaut Sarah Gillis, Guest Conductor Scott O’Neil, and immersive visuals by Fiske Planetarium.

Arrive early for pre-concert activities with space science vendors, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $29.

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