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Ballot order set for Aspen’s March municipal election

Jasmine Tygre, who spent many years working in city government but was brought on here as a non-government community member, holds up the name of council hopeful Sam Rose as she helps with the lottery for the municipal election ballot order on Tuesday, Jan. 10, inside City Hall in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Aspen’s upcoming municipal ballot will be a short one, and the City Clerk’s Office determined the candidate order at a ballot lottery on Tuesday.

The ballot order will go as follows:

For the mayoral seat:

— Tracy Sutton



— Torre

For two seats on City Council:




— Bill Guth

— Skippy Mesirow

— Sam Rose

Torre and Mesirow are incumbents. Council member Rachel Richards is not seeking re-election.

Only two new candidates for council, Guth and Rose, returned completed nominating petitions to the clerk’s office by the Dec. 27 deadline, notably fewer than the eight candidates that competed for two council seats in the 2021 municipal election.

City Clerk Nicole Henning said theorists speculate that appearing first on a ballot translates to more votes, but the city of Aspen does not have data available to support or deny that claim. 

The state, through Section 31-10-902(2) of Title 31, reads, “The names shall be arranged by lot as prescribed by the municipal clerk under the designation of the office.” 

Henning said she follows the practice of former Clerk Linda Manning in holding a lottery for ballot order.

The last day for a candidate to withdraw from the election is Thursday, and Henning will certify ballot language on Friday.

The municipal election will take place on March 7. Aspen voters can confirm their registration through the Colorado Secretary of State website and request absentee ballots from the Aspen City Clerk’s Office.

Jasmine Tygre, who spent many years working in city government but was brought on here as a non-government community member, holds up the name of Aspen mayoral candidate Tracy Sutton as she helps with the lottery for the municipal election ballot order on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, inside City Hall in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Jasmine Tygre, who spent many years working in city government but was brought on here as a non-government community member, reaches into a bowl held by Aspen City Clerk Nicole Henning, right, as she helps with the lottery for the municipal election ballot order on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, inside City Hall in Aspen. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Jasmine Tygre, who spent many years working in city government but was brought on here as a non-government community member, helps with the lottery for the municipal election ballot order on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, inside City Hall in Aspen. Aspen City Clerk Nicole Henning stands behind Tygre. (Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times