McFall Expands Lead in Loveland Mayoral Race Ahead of Certification

The lead of Pat McFall in the Loveland mayoral election has widened to 193 votes as the Larimer County election office concluded its week-long cure period. According to the latest unofficial results, McFall secured 14,839 votes, while his opponent, Troy Daniels, garnered 14,646. This translates to a margin of 1.3%.

Under state law, an automatic recount is triggered when the vote difference is less than or equal to 0.5% of the higher vote total, which would require a margin of approximately 74 votes. Consequently, no automatic recount will occur in the race to complete the remaining two years of former Ward 3 representative Erin Black‘s term. In that contest, Kalina Middleton leads Christopher Say by just 32 votes, with Middleton receiving 2,186 votes to Say’s 2,154, a margin of 1.5%. Although recounts can be requested at the candidates’ expense, the likelihood of a recount appears minimal.

During the cure period, election officials focused on processing ballots from military and overseas voters, as well as those needing signature or identification verification. Tina Harris, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder, indicated that she does not expect significant changes in the vote totals prior to the certification set for November 21, 2023. “The only thing that could potentially move those numbers — and it’s only going to be a few — are inter-county ballots that we may receive from other counties,” Harris explained. “In statute, there’s no deadline for us to receive those. So as long as we receive them before we certify the election, they will be part of the results.”

Before the results can be officially certified, Harris’s office will conduct a risk-limiting audit of the overall election results, including a specific audit on the mayoral race. According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, risk-limiting audits are designed to provide statistical evidence that election outcomes are correct, validating tabulated results through randomly selected paper ballots.

Harris noted that this year’s coordinated election proceeded smoothly, although the volume of ballots cast on Election Day exceeded expectations. “We received like 40% or more of all the ballots on Election Day,” she stated. “So it did take us — I think it was like a day and a half — to get through what we received on Election Day.”

The swearing-in ceremony for McFall and the newly elected Loveland City Council members — including Geoff Frahm (Ward 1), Sarah Rothberg (Ward 2), Caitlin Wyrick and Kalina Middleton (Ward 3), and Zeke Cortez (Ward 4) — is scheduled for the regular meeting on Tuesday. However, if either Daniels or Say chooses to contest the results, the transition into office for McFall and Middleton could face delays.