Running for election can be daunting, particularly in this age of polarized politics and disenfranchised voters. Between the constant barrage of negative campaigning and the challenges of diminishing voter turnout, it’s evident that our traditional election process is in decay.

We were fortunate to navigate a different path as we rose to the position of mayor in our respective cities, one devoid of many of the pitfalls that have become so commonplace in modern American elections. And we believe we have become better leaders as a result.

Elections are the fundamental foundation of democracy. They truly are the voice of the people expressed through the ballot box. And voters share the justifiable desire to have agency over what happens in their lives and their communities, to feel confident in the belief that their vote matters.

Too often in Colorado’s current statewide voting process, that desire goes unfulfilled. Voters feel left out because, most of the time, they are.

In a state like Colorado, where nearly half of all voters (48%) are registered as independents, political parties — not the people — determine whose names go on the ballot in primary elections. Those routinely low-turnout primaries pander to a given party’s base, ultimately pushing candidates further toward the extremes to appeal to those primary voters. This limits the options for the majority of voters as general election candidates are decided by a small fraction of the electorate in those primaries. The problem is compounded in the state’s traditionally uncompetitive districts, where the general election is essentially decided by the minority of voters who participate in the primaries.

As the current Mayor of Broomfield and former Mayor of Grand Junction, we are grateful to have earned our positions through a system that bypasses the constraints of partisan primaries and invites more genuine choice to the election process. Like almost all other local elected representatives in Colorado, we competed in nonpartisan elections that were open to all voters. And as public servants, that’s exactly who we represent — all voters.

Based on the belief that all Coloradans deserve meaningful choices in all elections, there’s a public initiative titled Proposition 131 on the November ballot that will give voters the opportunity to establish nonpartisan Open Primary Elections for all of Colorado’s state and federal offices in the future, with the top four vote-winners — regardless of party — moving on to a ranked-choice general election ballot. Having experienced similarly open elections ourselves, we support this initiative as a way to restore power to the voters and encourage cooperation among our elected leaders.

Nonpartisan Open Primaries force politicians to campaign to all voters, not just those in their party. More importantly, it requires election winners to govern with the best interests of all voters in mind, even when it means working across the political divide. Rather than the illusion of choice offered in a closed primary system, Open Primaries level the playing field and truly liberate voters by establishing one set of rules for everyone.

Proposition 131 establishes a single Open Primary where all candidates run in the same primary and the four who receive the most votes move on to the General Election. There, voters will have the opportunity to rank their top four choices, and the first candidate to earn the majority of votes (50%+1), wins. If no one earns a majority, the last-place finisher is eliminated and the second choices for those ballots are redistributed accordingly. That “instant runoff” process repeats until a majority winner is determined.

As moderates, we support allowing voters to rank their choices in elections. It means that no one has to make a “throw-away” vote, and their vote has a real impact. It works at the municipal level — as demonstrated in cities like Boulder, New York City, San Francisco and Salt Lake City — and it works at the state level — as demonstrated in Maine and Alaska. In fact, voters in the City and County of Broomfield — where one of us serves as mayor — recently approved ranked voting in municipal elections that we are very eager to initiate. It’s worth noting that members of both parties supported the effort.

Elections should not be about partisanship and playing to the extremes to get elected. They should be about giving voice and agency to the people, for the benefit of our collective community. Proposition 131 is about giving power to voters through Open Primaries and ranked voting, and we ask you to join us in supporting it.

Guyleen Castriotta is Mayor of the City and County of Broomfield. Anna Stout is the former Mayor of the City of Grand Junction and current Council Member.