Five proposals for citizen ballot measures have been approved to gather signatures as of July 28, according to the Secretary of State's website. 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.
Nineteen proposals were approved by the title board but have not yet started petitioning. Another 32 other proposals were withdrawn or rejected by the title board.
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.
But during odd-year elections like in 2025, all statewide ballot measures legally have to relate to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, so advocates are lining up for 2026. As petition circulators begin crawling through Colorado, here's what to know about the measures seeking your signature:
Gathering Signatures
Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements to Federal AuthoritiesInitiative 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. The measure would require an amendment to the state constitution, so if it reaches the November ballot, it must earn 55 percent of votes to pass.
Current law prohibits state, county and local employees from disclosing personal identifying information to assist with federal immigration enforcement. The initiative comes from Michael Fields, president of the conservative advocacy group Advance Colorado.
The petition is due on December 26.
Admission to State Institutions of Higher Education
Initiative 81 would require 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 comes from Kiran Herz and Jaiden Hwang, whom appear to be local teenagers currently attending high school in Greenwood Village. The petition is due on December 26.
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.
This initiative also comes from Michael Fields. The petition is due on November 28.
Repeal Retail Delivery Fee
Initiative 51 would repeal 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 is backed by Jeremy and Rick Nuanes of Westminster and Golden, respectively. The petition is due on November 28.
End Wolf Reintroduction
Initiative 13 would end 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. It comes from Stan VanderWerf of El Paso County, a former State Senate candidate, and Spencer Thomas of Garfield County. The petition is due on August 27.
Approved by Title Board
There are currently nineteen proposed ballot measures approved by the title board but not yet petitioning. Here's what they would do if passed by voters:Initiative 16: Voter Approval for Statewide Fees
Require voter approval to create any fee with a projected revenue of over $100 million within the first five years.
Initiative 22: Right to School Choice
Establish the right to school choice for K-12 students in the Colorado Constitution.
Initiative 24: Voter Approval New Enterprises
Require voter approval to create a state enterprise with a projected fee and surcharge revenue of over $100 million within the first five years.
Initiative 29, Initiative 44 and Initiative 96: Prohibit Government Bans on Energy Source
Prohibit state and local governments from banning or restricting products or service connections based on the energy source used.
Initiative 47: Income Tax Rate
Reduce the state income tax rate from 4.4 percent to 4.39 percent.
Initiative 48: Income Tax Rate
Reduce the state income tax rate from 4.4 percent to 3.4 percent.
Initiative 49: Full Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans
Exempt veterans from paying property taxes if they have a service-related disability rating of 100 percent.
Initiative 58: Personal Recognizance Bonds for Certain Crimes
Prohibit courts from releasing a defendant on a personal recognizance bond without consent of the district attorney, if the defendant is accused of committing a crime of violence, motor vehicle theft, or assault on a peace officer.
Initiative 59: Child Sexual Assault Sentencing
Modify various sentencing requirements for offenders convicted of sex crimes involving children.
Initiative 65: Income Tax Rate
Reduce the state income tax rate from 4.4 percent to 4.2 percent.
Initiative 66: Mail Ballot Verification
Require voters to provide the last four digits of either their Social Security number or their state-issued identification when voting by mail.
Initiative 69: Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor
Increase the penalty for human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to a class 1 felony and expand the definition to include knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor.
Initiative 70: Male and Female Participation in School Sports
Prohibit transgender students from playing on school sports teams that don't align with their biological sex.
Initiative 71: Prohibit Certain Surgeries on Minors
Prohibit gender-affirming medical care for minors.
Initiative 90: Voter Approval of New Fees and Fee Increases
Require voter approval to create any fee with a projected revenue of over $100 million within the first five years, and expand the definition of fees and taxes that require voter approval.
Initiative 91: Penalties for Theft and Motor Vehicle Theft
Increase the criminal classifications and sentences for motor vehicle theft offenses.
Initiative 94: Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements to Federal Authorities
Require law enforcement to notify the Department of Homeland Security when a person who is not lawfully present in the country is charged with a violent crime, or any crime if the person has a prior felony conviction.
This article was updated to remove an Initiative that was approved for signature gathering but withdrawn by the petitioner.
