Colorado Ballot Initiatives 2026
2026 COLORADO BALLOT GUIDE
Truth first. Both sides heard. Then our recommendation.
OUR EDITORIAL STANDARD
The Colorado Conservative is an openly conservative publication, but an endorsement is more useful when readers can see the facts and the strongest case on both sides. Each measure therefore begins with a neutral explanation, followed by a good-faith presentation of the proponent and opponent positions. Only after those sections do we present our editorial scores and recommendation.
The neutral sections are written to summarize, not campaign. Legislative Council's ballot-analysis process is designed to include a summary, major arguments for and against, and a fiscal assessment. Our recommendation sections are explicitly editorial and may draw conclusions from those facts.
Editorial score categories: Fiscal Responsibility; Limited Government; Individual Liberty; Institutional Integrity; Long-Term Colorado Impact. A 5 indicates strong positive alignment with the publication's stated standard; a 1 indicates weak or negative alignment. These scores are opinions, not official ratings.
SOURCE BASELINE
Primary factual baseline: Colorado General Assembly / Legislative Council Staff, 2026 Ballot Analysis Drafts & Deadlines and the final Blue Book analyses for each measure.
Colorado’s 2026 Ballot Initiatives
Colorado voters will consider 14 statewide ballot initiatives in 2026: seven constitutional amendments and seven propositions. These measures address education funding, immigration enforcement, energy choice, hunting and fishing, election procedures, taxes, criminal penalties, youth medical care, school athletics, and conservation.
The Colorado Conservative’s ballot guide provides a plain-language explanation of each proposal, presents the strongest arguments from supporters and opponents, and concludes with our independent score and recommendation.
The 14 Statewide Measures
Each proposal deserves more than a slogan. Select an initiative below to review what it would change, the principal arguments on both sides, its potential consequences, and The Colorado Conservative’s final assessment.
Proposition NN — Public Education Funding
Amendment 81 — Law-Enforcement Communication with Federal Immigration Authorities
Amendment 82 — Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas
Amendment 83 — Right to Hunt and Fish
Amendment 84 — Identification for Mail Ballots
Amendment 85 — Plain-Language Ballot Titles
Amendment 86 — Off-Cycle Congressional Redistricting
Amendment 87 — Graduated Income Tax
Proposition 132 — Penalties for Fentanyl Crimes
Proposition 133 — Human Trafficking of a Minor
Proposition 134 — Participation in School and Collegiate Sports
Proposition 135 — Certain Surgeries on Minors