Fort Collins Voter Guide
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025!
Why vote in local elections? Your city council has more power over your life than Congress. They have the power to increase the minimum wage, create more affordable housing, and make a vibrant, just economy where everyone can thrive. It’s important to use your power and vote for the candidate who will fight for you!
Who to Vote For
Emily Francis
Mayor
We’re backing Emily Francis for mayor because she gets what’s at stake and has the track record to make real change happen. Emily has been on the frontlines fighting for working people, pushing for stronger renter protections, preserving affordable housing, and building the city’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion so that all voices are heard. As mayor, she’ll keep Fort Collins moving forward with bold action on housing, climate resilience, small business support, and reliable city services so that young people, working families, and longtime residents can all afford to call Fort Collins home.
Why support Emily?
Emily knows that affordability is about ensuring all people can live in the community they love and call home. As mayor, she will continue to fight for a dedicated housing fund, zoning updates to diversify housing types, and streamlined city processes to get affordable homes built faster.
Beyond housing, Emily has a proven record of protecting Fort Collins’ future. She is committed to climate action through clean energy. She has improved bus options, safer streets, and composting initiatives, and has been a consistent champion for small businesses that make Fort Collins unique.
Emily believes strong neighborhoods, reliable city services, and investments in equity and sustainability are the foundation of a thriving community, and she has the experience to deliver.
Christopher Conway
District 1
We support Chris Conway because he’s not just talking about change; he’s been on the frontlines making Fort Collins a more affordable place for all. Chris co-founded Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Fort Collins, helped repeal a discriminatory housing rule, the U+2 rule, that unfairly targeted students and renters, and fought to pass Colorado’s first-ever “just cause” eviction protections so landlords can’t kick people out without reason. And now, Chris is ready to represent District 1 on city council, where he will keep fighting to build a future where every neighbor can thrive.
Why support Chris?
Chris Conway has been on the frontlines of Fort Collins’ fight for affordable housing. Chris understands that affordability is about whether working families, young people, and seniors can stay in the community they love. On city council, he’ll fight to expand housing choices, cut red tape that blocks affordable homes, and ensure renters have strong protections and a real voice in city decisions.
Chris also knows that the future of Fort Collins depends on protecting what makes it special. His platform centers on smart, compact growth to reduce sprawl, preserve open spaces, and fight climate change. By building walkable neighborhoods and expanding safe, sustainable transit, he will make it easier for people to live near where they work, cut down on traffic, and protect our air and water. Add to that his commitment to recreation and youth sports, ensuring every kid has safe access to parks and play, Chris represents the kind of practical, progressive leadership Fort Collins needs right now.
Zoelle Lane
District 5
We believe Zoelle is the best choice for District 5 because she is a true champion for those who love Fort Collins but are struggling to afford to stay. Her main goals on City Council are to raise the minimum wage, make housing affordable, provide a path to unionization for workers in Fort Collins, and ensure public services, from childcare to transit, are accessible to everyone. Her priority is to make sure that no one is priced out of the community they call home. As a renter, immigrant, union member, and community advocate, she’s running to make sure the city council actually represents the people who keep Fort Collins running.
Why support Zoelle?
Zoelle Lane is running because she knows firsthand how hard it’s become for working people to afford life in Fort Collins. She’s not afraid to call out decisions that put wealthy special interests ahead of working families, and she’s ready to fight for a city where young people, workers, and seniors can all thrive.
Zoelle’s background as a human resources professional in Colorado State University (CSU)’s International Programs and her leadership on the Classified Personnel Council have prepared her to navigate budgets, advocate at the state level, and build coalitions that deliver real change. She’s already fought alongside immigrant communities, workers organizing for better conditions, and campaigns for justice at home and abroad.
Her campaign is grassroots to its core, powered by volunteers, not corporations, because she believes Fort Collins should work for the many, not the few. With Zoelle on city council, renters, workers, and everyday people will finally have a voice fighting for them at city hall.
Find Your District
You’ll be voting for the council member to represent you in your district.
Statewide Ballot Measures
Propositions LL & MM
Healthy School Meals for All
What do they do?
Proposition LL allows the state to keep and spend money to support the Healthy School Meals for All Program.
Proposition MM increases taxes for people with higher incomes in order to fund the Healthy School Meals for All Program.
Why are we voting YES?
The Healthy School Meals for All Program ensures students have access to healthy, nutritious meals during the school day. This program contributes to the health, well-being, and academic success of more young people in the state.
Local Ballot Measures
Question 2A
What does it do?
This measure will not raise taxes, but it asks voters to extend the existing 0.25% sales and use tax for the Capital Improvement Program (CCIP) to 2035. Capital projects include things like sidewalk programs, bicycle infrastructure, composting, paved trails, affordable housing, and public transit.
Question 2B
What does it do?
This measure asks voters to align the charter’s election rules with voter-approved changes from the 2024 election. It includes:
- Requiring someone to notify the city clerk if they want to challenge a council member’s qualifications in court
- Updating language in the instance of a recount under the ranked choice voting system
- Giving people 77 days instead of 63 to collect signatures for an initiative
Question 2C
What does it do?
This measure asks voters to modernize and update the City of Fort Collins Charter without changing how the government works. If passed, it will replace words like “shall” with “must” and “he/she” with “they.” It will also add subsections and titles, fix numbering across references, and remove outdated provisions.
Question 2D
What does it do?
This measure asks voters to modernize requirements for new ordinances. This would update how they are published and will prevent council members from requesting that an ordinance be read aloud in its entirety at a city council meeting.
Question 2E
What does it do?
This measure asks voters to amend the city charter to better clarify which city employees and entities are not allowed to contribute to council elections.
Question 2F
What does it do?
This measure would let council members or the mayor sell land or buildings to the city if the property is needed for a city project or public use.
Question 2G
What does it do?
This measure would address council or mayoral vacancies where the person who fills the position serves at least half of a full term, defining it as a “term.” It would require the city council to post notice of those vacancies and appoint a new member within 35 business days.
Additionally, if no qualified candidate is on the ballot to fill an opening, the city council must appoint a qualified person for a full term.
Question 2H
What does it do?
This measure asks voters to approve the use of the 165-acre Hughes Stadium for community uses such as natural areas, trails, a bike park, and space for environmental education and wildlife care. The measure requires the city to consult Indigenous tribes and communities, and for all development to be zoned as public open lands.
Issue 302
What does it do?
This citizen-led initiative asks voters to extend the Natural Areas Tax indefinitely (as-is, the tax would expire in 2030. Starting in 2061, 70% of the money would specifically go to land conservation, and 30% to operations and maintenance.
Question 303
What does it do?
This citizen-led initiative asks voters to require that 100% of the Hughes Stadium property be designated and used as a natural area.
How to Vote in Fort Collins
Ballots are mailed out to all registered voters on Oct. 10, so check your mailbox to confirm you get your ballot! Here are the three ways to vote and have your voice heard this election:
1. BALLOT DROP BOX.
Make sure your vote is counted by dropping off your completed ballot at a dropbox by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Drop boxes are open 24/7 through 7 p.m. on Election Day. There are 12 drop boxes around town, so find the nearest drop box locations here!
2. MAIL.
Another option is mailing your ballot back to your county clerk. If you choose this option, don’t forget to add stamps (we always recommend two, just in case) and put it in the mail by Monday, Oct. 27, to ensure it arrives at the County Clerk’s Office by Election Day.
3. IN PERSON.
If you didn’t receive your ballot in the mail, need a new ballot, or need to register to vote, you can vote in person at CSU in the Lory Student Center (1101 Center Ave Mall, Fort Collins) OR the Office of Larimer County Administrative Services (200 W Oak St – 1st Floor, Fort Collins).
The hours of operation are:
- Monday through Friday, Oct. 27 – Oct. 31 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Saturday, Nov. 1 (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
- Monday, Nov. 3 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- Tuesday, Election Day, Nov. 4 (7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
If you’re going to vote in person, remember to bring an accepted form of ID, which you can find here.
Remember: In Colorado, it is never too late to register to vote. You can register to vote or update your registration online by Oct. 27 here to receive your ballot in the mail.
You can also register to vote and receive your ballot at a Voter Service Center starting on Monday, Oct. 27, through 7 p.m. on Election Day.