The 2026 Colorado Ballot

Watch out: It triggers at charging, not conviction. And the 'prior felony' branch covers any new charge however minor - the Blue Book specifically names traffic violations and petty offenses.

Watch out: The measure is two sentences, but it goes in the constitution - so its real reach would be settled by courts. The Blue Book says only that it 'may limit' the ability to enforce existing and future gas regulations.

Watch out: The Blue Book is explicit that there is no immediate change to any law. The whole effect is about how courts and the wildlife commission read it in the future.

Watch out: The eight-day cure window mirrors today's signature-discrepancy process, so the mechanism is familiar - but this creates a whole new way for a ballot to land in that pile. Any Colorado ID used must be Real ID compliant.

Watch out: The restriction on required title wording applies only to citizen initiatives, not to measures the legislature refers. Today's law forces tax-related initiative titles to spell out the impact on taxpayers and state spending - exactly the kind of language this could strip out.

Watch out: It does not create a process for off-cycle redistricting - it adds hurdles to one. The context is the wave of mid-decade congressional redraws in other states since 2025.

Watch out: Two things voters most often get wrong. First, it does not touch TABOR refunds - the new money is exempt from the limit, so refunds stay as they are. Second, the brackets are not indexed to inflation, so bracket creep pulls more income into higher rates over time. And if Proposition 136 passes too, the Blue Book says the outcome is unclear.

Watch out: The headline ceiling and the real amount are very different. The measure lets the state keep up to $4.6 billion above the TABOR limit in year one, but it is only expected to actually keep about $500 million - because that is all the state is projected to collect above the limit. Also: after ten years the children's earmark loosens to 'any purpose,' and if Proposition 137 also passes it can shrink what NN actually keeps.

Watch out: 'Distribution' covers transferring or sharing, not just selling - and the measure removes the Good Samaritan reduction for distribution cases, which today protects someone who reports an overdose and stays until help arrives.

Watch out: Current law already provides legal defenses and protections for charged individuals who are themselves trafficking victims. The argument against turns on how a mandatory life sentence with no judicial discretion interacts with that.

Watch out: It sets a standard with no verification method, and the Blue Book says outright that it is 'unclear at this time' how the measure interacts with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Enforcement is specified only for public K-12 - there is none for private K-12, colleges, or athletic associations.

Watch out: The ban is defined by the reason for the surgery, not a list of procedures - which is precisely why opponents argue it could reach beyond transgender care. And the practice it prohibits is already essentially not happening at Colorado's major pediatric hospitals.

Watch out: This is a statute; Amendment 87 is a constitutional amendment. If both pass, the Blue Book says the outcome is 'unclear' - normally the measure with more votes prevails, but the legislature or a court would have to resolve it.

Watch out: This is not a new tax - the money is already being collected. The real change is the TABOR exemption, which is why opponents call it a tax increase. Also, in some years the full amount will not be directed, if doing so would reduce two tax credits for low- and moderate-income households. And if Proposition NN also passes, Proposition 137 can reduce or eliminate what NN actually keeps.