By Carol Hedges

CFI Executive Director

A few years back, as part of a statewide effort to find out what kind of Colorado we wanted, I was told of a community effort in Estes Park to get the town to approve new street lights that pointed downward, new technology that kept the streets well-lit while preserving the amazing view of a night sky filled with stars and the moon. I remember thinking what an incredible role we can play in making Colorado communities our own.

So as we head outdoors this Fourth of July weekend to enjoy those things that brought us here or keep us here in Colorado — our incredible natural environment — it’s  a perfect time to remember that our democracy needs our attention. Regardless of whether we’re hiking a fourteener, attending one of the state’s multitude of Fourth festivals or enjoying a backyard barbeque, our experience benefits from being part of a thriving, well supported community.

It is easy to take for granted the roads we travel on, the clean water we enjoy, the safety we feel from knowing that, should an accident occur, there are first responders ready to help out. Those sometimes hidden benefits don’t occur by accident, and as voters in Colorado, we have a big say in how effective our public services are. Uniquely, our votes matter in Colorado not just in electing our representatives to lawmaking bodies; we also directly decide a myriad of citizen initiatives that affect our quality of life.

This fall, we will once again be asked to weigh in on the question of what kind of Colorado we want.  With the noise of the presidential election, it’s easy to forget there is more than one decision to make on our ballots, decisions that will shape the economic future of our state. Voters will decide how much the lowest wage earners should make, a decision that affects the well-being of families and the economic vitality of communities. We’ll be asked if the state should keep and use the money collected from our rapid growth to be used to offset the costs also associated with expansion. We’ll be asked to consider major changes in the way we pay for health care in the state. And, among other things, we will be asked if we want to make it more difficult to amend our state constitution.

These questions are not easy to sort out, but we still must live up to our responsibility and become informed on the ballot measures we are charged to decide. Luckily, there’s a great place we can go to become that informed voter. It’s called Count Me In, and it will provide easy access to information on ballot measures to encourage voters to vote all the way to the bottom of the ballot.

Please visit www.CountMeInColorado.com throughout the summer and fall to see the latest on ballot measures.

When you’re enjoying fireworks this Fourth of July, stop and make a commitment to yourself and your community to vote — and encourage everyone you know to vote and vote the whole ballot. It’ll make a great birthday present for America.