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Before the new year has even begun, Colorado activists are busy working to get their issues on the ballot for the 2026 election.
Two proposals for citizen ballot measures successfully submitted the petition signatures needed to qualify for the ballot as of December 30, according to the Secretary of State’s website. One of the initiatives is now cleared for the ballot, while the other is awaiting its signature line review.
Three other proposals previously approved to gather signatures have failed to reach their targets. Proponents need to collect 124,238 signatures from registered voters to get their initiative onto the ballot, and they only have six months after the bill title is set to do so.
The new failures add to 56 total proposals that have expired, been withdrawn or were rejected by the title board for 2026.
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As of December 30, four proposals are currently gathering signatures. Another 28 proposals were approved by the title board but are not yet petitioning, and three are awaiting decisions from the Colorado Supreme Court before they can move forward.
Colorado is one of 24 states that allow citizen-initiated measures, letting residents bypass the legislature and petition to bring policy proposals directly to voters. Even rarer, it is among only eighteen states that permit citizens to bring forward ballot measures to amend the state constitution.
Here’s what to know about the measures for 2026:
Successful Petitions
Only two proposals have managed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot so far.
Penalties for Fentanyl Crimes
Initiative 85 would increase the felony classifications for drug-related crimes for the distribution, manufacturing, dispensing, sale or possession of fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids. It would also narrow or eliminate sentencing exemptions and create mandatory treatment requirements for certain drug felony violations. The initiative comes from Michael Fields, president of the conservative advocacy group Advance Colorado.
Proponents submitted nearly 188,000 petition signatures on November 20. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office announced that the signatures are valid on December 15, officially earning the initiative a place on the ballot.
Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements to Federal Authorities
Initiative 95 would require Colorado law enforcement agencies to notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when a person who is not lawfully present in the country is charged with a violent crime, or charged with any crime if the person has a prior felony conviction. Current law prohibits state, county and local employees from disclosing personal identifying information to assist with federal immigration enforcement. The measure, which also comes from Fields, would require an amendment to the state constitution, so it must earn 55 percent of votes to pass.
Proponents submitted nearly 200,000 signatures on December 26, which are now awaiting review. The Secretary of State’s Office has until January 23 to do so.
Failed Petitions
Three proposals that were approved for petitioning have failed to reach the required count or were withdrawn before the deadline. They add to two dueling labor union-related measures, Initiatives 39 and 43, which were also withdrawn in a compromise move after being cleared to start collecting signatures.
Admission to State Institutions of Higher Education
Initiative 81 would have required all state-supported institutions of higher education to automatically admit local students if they have a grade point average in the top ten percent of their high school’s graduating class. The automatic admission process would apply to incoming freshman applicants who graduated high school in Colorado within the prior two school years, and who meet the university’s or college’s class requirements and “rules on moral conduct or code of conduct.”
The proposal came from local high schoolers Kiran Herz and Jaiden Hwang. It expired after petition signatures were not submitted by the December 26 deadline.
End Wolf Reintroduction
Initiative 13 would have ended any further reintroductions of gray wolves in Colorado by the end of 2026. This would repeal a ballot measure that Coloradans passed in 2020 to require wolf reintroduction in the state, beginning by the end of 2023 and continuing until a self-sustaining population of wolves exists in Colorado. The initiative would not require the removal of wolves already introduced to the state.
The proposal came from Stan VanderWerf of El Paso County, a former State Senate candidate, and Spencer Thomas of Garfield County. It expired after petition signatures were not submitted by the August 27 deadline.
Repeal Retail Delivery Fee
Initiative 51 would have repealed all state fees on retail deliveries made by vehicle, which collectively total 28 cents per delivery. That includes repealing the Community Access Retail Delivery Fee, Clean Fleet Retail Delivery Fee, Clean Transit Retail Delivery Fee, General Retail Delivery Fee, Bridge and Tunnel Retail Delivery Fee, and Air Pollution Mitigation Retail Delivery Fee. The fees were created by the Colorado Legislature in 2021, generating tens of millions of dollars for state transportation projects each year.
The proposal came from Jeremy and Rick Nuanes of Westminster and Golden, respectively. Proponents withdrew the measure before the December 1 petition deadline.
Ongoing Petitions
Four proposals are currently approved to circulate petitions, most of which have deadlines to gather 124,238 signatures by mid-February.
Male and Female Participation in School Sports
Initiative 109 would prohibit transgender students from playing on school sports teams that don’t align with their biological sex. The proposal comes from anti-transgender activists Erin Lee of Wellington and Michele Austin of Englewood. The petition is due on February 20.
Prohibit Certain Surgeries on Minors
Initiative 110 would prohibit gender-affirming medical care for minors. The proposal also comes from Lee and Austin. The petition is due on February 20.
Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor
Initiative 108 would make the human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude a class 1 felony instead of class 2, making the offense punishable by life imprisonment. The proposal also comes from Lee and Austin. The petition is due on February 16.
State Revenue Supporting Road Transportation
Initiative 175 would require that state taxes on motor vehicles and gas be used to fund the construction, repairs and maintenance of roads and bridges. The proposal comes from Michael Andre Hancock of Aurora and Donna Kim Wade of Littleton. The petition is due on May 27.
