Messenger: Better Colorado Now

Candidate: None

Contest: none

Affiliation: U

Date delivered: Nov. 2, 2018

Click here for message

Message type: mailer

Message tone: informative

About the message:

This mailer from Republican super PAC Better Colorado Now mentions an unaffiliated Jefferson County voter's voting record and that of several of her neighbors. It arrived Friday or Saturday, nearly two weeks after the voter sent in her ballot. It doesn't mention any candidates or specific political party, though Better Colorado Now has supported GOP guberntorial candidate Walker Stapleton.

Mailers suggesting that neighbors will know if you don't vote or pointing out that your voting record is public are sometimes used in an attempt to encourage turnout, as one group is doing this year in Georgia. It should be pointed out that while your voting preferences are secret, whether or not you voted is public. Campaigns use the information to target voters with mailings or get-out-the-vote efforts.

About the messenger:

Better Colorado Now is an independent expenditure group supporting the Republican Treasurer Walker Stapleton's run for governor. The group may raise and spend unlimited amounts, but is not supposed to coordinate with Stapleton.

Stapleton helped raise money for the group before entering the governor’s race last fall.

The messenger's money:

Nonpfrofit Colorado Taxpayers Advocate Fund gave the group $600,000. Other donors to the group include Greg Engles of Whitewave Foods and Extraction Oil and Gas at $50,000 each; Broncos general manager John Elway at $10,000, St. Louis Cardinals Chairman William Dewitt Jr., Geoffrey Lord of Lord Realty, Liberty Global President/CEO Michael Fries and Liberty Media CEO Gregory Maffei at $25,000 each. Also, $15,000 from real estate mogul Larry Mizel, Elizabeth Anschutz for $10,000 and Stapleton cousin Jeb Bush for $1,000.