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Cole Has a Soul 2018: Participatory Budgeting Research and Evaluation Report

Phase III: Voter Analysis

Surveys were collected from 73 individuals who voted between November 10–December 1, 2018 in Cole Has a Soul. During this time, two in-person voting sessions were held at the St. Charles Recreation Center, and online voting was available for Cole residents 24 hours a day. Eight potential projects were on the ballot, and CHAS voters approved three of them. Ballots and surveys were offered in English and Spanish.

Key Findings

African American and Native American survey respondents were representative of Cole’s population in race and ethnicity. However, Non-Hispanic whites were overrepresented, and Latinx community members were under-represented.
Although survey respondents were generally representative of the age groups reflected within the community, 35–44 year olds were over-represented and people under 18 years old were under-represented.
People who identified as female were over-represented and people who identified as male were under-represented, compared to the Cole neighborhood population. Unfortunately, no comparison is possible for gender non-binary individuals as census data does not include the category.
People with low-incomes (below $50,000) were under-represented among CHAS voters, compared to the Cole neighborhood population.
Nearly all respondents (89%) believed that PB should continue for the following year.
48% of respondents learned about voting through online means such as email or social media. Only 18% of respondents learned about voting from a friend or family member, demonstrating the importance of word-of-mouth outreach and personal networks. None of the respondents learned about voting from a city council member.
College graduates (72% of respondents) were over-represented, compared to census data of the neighborhood of only 34%. People of all other education categories were under-represented.
More than half of all respondents (60%) reported that, in the last 12 months, they had worked with their neighbors to solve a community problem, suggesting that CHAS voters were already involved in the community prior to casting a PB ballot.

Demographic Data

Age

A plurality (37%) of CHAS voter respondents were 35–44 years old, and the second largest category of respondents (25%) were 25–34 years old. CHAS voters had to be at least 10 years old to vote, and 5% of respondents were under 18. The youngest respondent was 15 years old.

Comparison to census data: Survey respondents generally reflected the age groups of the community, but 35–44 year olds were over-represented, and people under18 were under-represented.

Gender

Nearly three quarters of survey respondents were female (72%), while males approximated one fourth of respondents (26%). Two percent were gender non-binary.

Comparison to census data: Women were over-represented, and men were under-represented. No comparison could be made for gender non-binary individuals because census data does not include that category.

Household Income
Breakdown of CHAS Survey Data vs. Cole Census Data in terms of Annual Household Income:
Approximately one in ten respondents (11%) reported a household income less than $10,000, and 39% reported an income less than $50,000. Nearly as many (38%) reported household incomes of more than $100,000.
Comparison to census data: The 2016 median household income in Cole approximately was $39,000, demonstrating that lower income residents may have been under-represented among CHAS voters.
Race/Ethnicity
Nearly half (46%) of respondents were White (non-Hispanic or Latinx), and approximately one in four respondents were Latinx. The majority of respondents (54%) were people of color.
Comparison to census data: Non-Hispanic Whites were over-represented, and Latinx community members were under-represented. Despite constituting 0% of the neighborhood in the last census calculation, Asian Americans were 6% of survey respondents. African Americans and American Indians were represented proportionally.

Education
Breakdown of CHAS Survey Data vs. Cole Census Data in terms of Level of Education:
A large portion of respondents (84%) had attended at least some postsecondary education. Nearly two thirds (63%) had earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. Seven percent had a high school diploma or equivalent, and 8% had not completed high school.
Comparison to census data: College graduates (associate’s degree or better) were over-represented (72%) compared to census figures for the neighborhood (34%). People from all other education categories (less than a high school diploma, high school diploma only, and some college but no degree) were under-represented.
Civic Engagement, Beliefs, and Efficacy
Prior Participation in the PB process
Approximately 6 in 10 respondents (60%) had not participated in CHAS prior to voting, while 40% had participated by attending an idea collection event, submitting a project idea, serving as a lead change maker, or serving on the steering committee. This result demonstrates a mix of people who were previously involved in the process and engagement from new residents.

Community Engagement
More than half of respondents (60%) reported that, in the past 12 months, they had worked with their neighbors to solve a community problem, and only 36% had not done so. This suggests that CHAS voters already were involved in their neighborhood prior to casting a PB ballot.
Past Voting
Nearly 8 in 10 respondents (79%) had voted in the most recent national election (November 2018 midterms). Significantly, 14% indicated that they were not eligible to vote in that election, demonstrating CHAS’s ability to reach nontraditional voting populations. PB voters were eligible as long as they lived, worked, or learned in the Cole neighborhood. These results demonstrate that Cole Has A Soul attracted the involvement of community members who were not typically involved in public affairs.

Influence in improving the community
Approximately 72% of respondents believed they had at least some influence in improving the community. However, 28% believed they had only a little or no influence to improve the community.

Trust in Denver Elected Officials

Nearly 67% of respondents reported at least some trust in Denver’s elected leaders to do what is right for the community. However, approximately one third of respondents reported only a little to no trust in local politicians to do what is right for the community.

Continuing CHAS PB

While 11% of respondents were unsure about whether CHAS PB should continue for next year, 89% of respondents believed CHAS PB should continue for next year and no one believed PB should not continue.

Winning Projects

Eight projects were placed on the CHAS PB ballot, and voters decided to fund 3 of them, with each project costing approximately $10,000 to utilize the $30,000 allocated. The winning projects were as follows:

Cole Farmer’s Market
Pop-up movie theater
Youth empowerment program

Additional details regarding the projects on the ballot (e.g., the percentage of votes received for each project) could not be provided because organizers of the PB process did not release that information.

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