From a proposed hunting ban on mountain lions to constitutional protections for abortion and gay marriage, here is how the fourteen Colorado ballot initiatives are faring, according to the most recent data from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.
Amendments
Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to AbortionPass
An amendment that enshrines the right to abortions in the state constitution, this measure was declared successful on November 5. Colorado is currently one of the more liberal states for abortion rights; Amendment 79 solidifies that by keeping abortion legal and protected. The amendment had a 61.62 percent approval rate from voters.
Amendment 80: Constitutional Right to School Choice
Fail
Amendment 80 would haved added a child's right to school choice and a parent's right to "direct" their child's education to the state constitution. Proponents insisted it would protect Coloradans' current ability to choose between public, private, charter, religious or home schools in the event that state legislation to restrict school choice is passed in the future, but those against the measure said it was a move to further advance charter and private schools in Colorado.
Amendment 80 failed with just over 48 percent approval; as a proposed amendment, it needed at least 55 percent approval from voters.
Amendment I: Constitutional Bail Exception for First-Degree Murder
Pass
Amendment I allows judges to deny bail to people charged with first-degree murder in cases where "proof is evident or presumption is great." This initiative comes after Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020, unintentionally doing away with the ability to deny bail to murder suspects. Since Colorado no longer punishes crimes with death, no suspects can be denied bail, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled last year.
This ballot measure asked voters to create an exception to this new rule, and the legislature approved the resolution nearly unanimously in March. Amendment I has now been declared victorious, with almost of 70 percent voter approval.
Amendment J: Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution
Pass
Amendment J removes language from Colorado's constitution that bans same-sex marriage.
A sentence in the constitution currently reads: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.” The ban hasn't been enforced since Colorado legalized gay marriage in 2014, and the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage in 2015, but proponents of Amendment J were concerned that SCOTUS would reconsider that ruling.
Amendment J was declared successful late on November 5.
Amendment K: Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines
Fail
Amendment K would have adjusted certain election filing deadlines, including moving up deadlines by one week for filing initiative petitions, referendum petitions and declaration of intent for judges and justices. County clerks had said that new regulations like ballot translation requirements make it more difficult to make their current deadlines. Voters weren't sympathetic, however; Amendment K has less than 45 percent approval as of early November 7.
Amendment G: Modify Property Tax Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities
Pass
Amendment G expands eligibility for the state's homestead property tax exemption to veterans who are assessed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having individual unemployability status. The measure passed easily on November 5, with over 72 percent of votes in favor.
Amendment H: Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality
Pass
Amendment H creates an independent discipline board to oversee judicial misconduct, responsible for conducting disciplinary hearings and hearing appeals of informal sanctions. Voters where overwhelmingly in favor of Amendment H, with the measure getting almost 73 percent of the votes.
Propositions
Proposition KK: Firearms and Ammunition Excise TaxPass
Proposition KK creates a 6.5 percent excise tax on gun and ammo purchases to fund mental health services, gun violence prevention and victim services. Beginning in April 2025, the tax would apply to gun dealers, gun manufacturers and ammunition vendors, with exemptions for retail sales to law enforcement and military members, as well as small businesses with less than $20,000 in annual retail sales. The bulk of the revenue — $30 million — would go to the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, followed by $8 million to the Behavioral Health Administration and $1 million to support school safety.
Prop KK passed with just over 54 percent of voters in favor.
Proposition JJ: Retain Additional Sports Betting Tax Revenue
Pass
Proposition JJ lets the state keep all sports betting tax revenue to fund water and conservation projects instead of refunding excess revenue back to tax-paying gambling operators. Prop JJ was declared victorious early on Tuesday night, with 76 percent of Coloradans voting in favor.
Proposition 127: Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx and Mountain Lion Hunting
Fail
Proposition 127 would have banned the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx, only allowing them to be killed if they threatened human life, livestock or property. After a ballot measure proposing wolf introduction in Colorado passed in 2020, Prop 127 became one of Colorado's most controversial measures in 2024. As with the wolf vote, early returns from Denver showed significant support, but the rest of Colorado pushed back at a steep enough rate to make rejection likely. Prop 127 failed with less than 45 percent of the vote.
Proposition 128: Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence
Pass
Proposition 128 requires offenders convicted of certain violent crimes to serve their full sentence if they've been convicted of a violent crime twice before. It would also increase the required percentage of sentence served before parole from 75 percent to 85 percent for anyone convicted of certain violent offenses, which include second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first- and second-degree sexual assault, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary and aggravated robbery. (Under current law, these inmates may apply for discretionary parole after serving at least 75 percent of their sentence, or earlier if they’ve earned time off for good behavior.)
With over 62 percent of voters approving Prop 128 as of November 6, the measure has been declared successful.
Proposition 129: Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates
Pass
Proposition 129 establishes a new Veterinary Professional Associate position, allowing people with a master's degree in veterinary care to carry out certain routine procedures. Proponents called for Prop 129 to address shortages in Colorado's veterinary industry, while opponents argued that it would lower the standard of animal care. Prop 129 passed with almost 52.4 percent of the vote.
Proposition 130: Funding for Law Enforcement
Pass
Proposition 130 creates a $350 million fund for law enforcement pay, recruitment and training; it also would provide $1 million in death benefits to the family of any officer killed in the line of duty. The new fund would come from the state's general budget, but would not raise taxes. Prop 130 passed just under 53 percent of the vote.
Proposition 131: Establishing All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Choice Voting General Elections
Fail
Proposition 131 would have implemented a system of ranked-choice voting in elections, allowing voters to pick based on preference instead of one candidate. Primaries would be changed, too, pitting candidates of all parties against each other, with the top four moving on to another ranked choice ballot in the general election. The effort was led by Kent Thiry, a multi-millionaire who previously explored running for governor of Colorado, but it didn't gain enough traction among voters. Prop 131 was declared a lost cause on election night, with just over 45 percent of the vote.
