Boulder elections: Civics 101

Who decides what in Boulder, for the November 3, 2026 election. [source]

Who runs the city?

Boulder has a council–manager government: the elected council sets city policy, and the city manager, hired by council, runs city administration and carries out that policy. [source] The manager's office provides leadership and oversight to city departments; council is not the day-to-day supervisor of every employee. [source] Council has nine members, the mayor and eight councilmembers, and each has an equal vote. [source] All are elected at large, by voters across the whole city, not by neighborhood wards. [source]

What can the city decide?

Housing and land use: The city makes zoning and development decisions within city limits; the county has a separate land-use jurisdiction outside incorporated cities. [source 1, source 2] State law also limits some local housing rules; a council candidate cannot alone rewrite state law. [source]

Police and public safety: Boulder has its own police department, while the Boulder County Sheriff's Office serves a separate county role. [source] Council sets city policy and funds services through the city budget; the manager administers city operations. [source 1, source 2]

Money, parks and open space: The city funds its own services and capital projects through its budget; its Open Space and Mountain Parks department manages city open-space lands. [source 1, source 2] Boulder County separately manages county open space. [source]

Streets, transit and the airport: City government is responsible for its municipal transportation facilities and Boulder Municipal Airport; regional transportation involves other governments and transit agencies too. [source 1, source 2] The council voted in July 2026 to pursue federal airport funding; that was a council decision, not a November 2026 city ballot measure. [source 1, source 2]

Homelessness services: The city, county and service organizations share this work; adults seeking countywide homeless services use Coordinated Entry. [source 1, source 2]

Schools: City Council does not run Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). Its seven-member school board is elected separately by district voters, and BVSD's superintendent leads the district. [source 1, source 2] The Colorado state government sets statewide education rules and funding frameworks. [source]

How do we elect the mayor?

Before 2023, the council chose the mayor from among its members; voters approved direct election with ranked-choice voting in 2020, and 2023 was the first direct mayoral election. [source 1, source 2] In the mayoral contest, rank one candidate first, another second if you wish, and so on; you do not have to rank everyone. [source] If nobody has more than half the first-choice votes, the lowest candidate is eliminated and those ballots transfer to their next-ranked candidate still in the race; rounds continue until a winner is determined. [source] Council seats are a separate election, not this mayoral ranked-choice contest. [source 1, source 2]

What's changing in 2026?

Voters will fill five council seats and the mayor's office on November 3, 2026. [source] This is the first regular municipal candidate election after the move to even-numbered years. [source 1, source 2] The 2023 and 2025 council winners had temporary three-year terms for the transition; councilmembers elected in 2026 return to four-year terms. [source] The mayor elected in 2023 had a three-year term; from 2026 onward, the mayoral term is two years. [source]

How and when do I vote?

Boulder County mails general-election ballots and opens 24-hour drop boxes on October 2, 2026. [source] Vote centers open October 19; find a drop box or vote center through the county elections site. [source 1, source 2] There is no voter-registration deadline: eligible voters can register and vote through Election Day, November 3; registering by October 26 is important if you want a ballot mailed rather than getting one at a vote center. [source 1, source 2] Mail ballots must be received by 7 p.m. November 3, not merely postmarked; the county recommends mailing them no later than October 26, or using a drop box afterward. [source]

Who pays for campaigns?

City candidates and ballot-measure committees must disclose campaign money under Boulder election rules; the city posts committee filings and reports. [source 1, source 2] A donor may give an official candidate committee no more than $100 in total. [source] Qualifying candidates can choose public matching funds: for 2026, they must first raise at least $2,473 in eligible individual contributions and accept a $24,731 campaign spending limit; the city can match eligible fundraising up to $12,366. [source] Participating candidates agree to accept donations only from natural persons, not corporations or nonprofits; receiving public funds is optional, and the city's candidate list marks which candidates are participating. [source 1, source 2]

Written September 2026. Each paragraph links its source.