Alexandra & Jonathan’s 2026 Voter Guide
Non-Partisan Resources
Call the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline or go to https://866ourvote.org/ for any problems voting
Colorado Secretary of State voter information
Denvervotes.org which includes information on Denver candidates, where and how to vote, and more.
The official “blue book” with a summary of ballot measures
Calendar
October 5 Ballots start to be mailed; All 24-hour drop boxes open
October 13 Last day to register to vote via a third party; you can still register to vote in person at a voting center
October 12 Main Voting Center at Denver Central Library opens; Others open October 16 through November 2
October 27 Last day to mail in ballots (recommended). Use a drop box!
November 3 ELECTION DAY. Ballots must be received by 7:00pm. If you are using a drop box on Election Day, drop it early!
November 12 Last day to cure a ballot
Locate drop boxes and voting center sites here
Colorado is the gold standard of election laws. In addition to mail-in, in-person, and absentee voting options, you can sign up to track your ballot at BallotTrax.com. You will be notified when your ballot is received and when it is counted. Learn more about our safe and secure election process.
Make a plan to vote! Do you like to vote as soon as you receive your ballot? Wait until the weekend before? Vote alone or with your family? Decide when and how you will vote and put it on your calendar. We vote as soon as we can and vote as a family. Then we take our ballots to the drop box by Torchy’s Tacos in Northfield and get tacos for dinner!
And note that the sooner you return your ballot, the sooner the bombardment stops. Once campaigns know you have already voted, they will take you out of their contact universe so you will no longer receive phone calls, mail, etc.
Voter guides
Colorado Public Radio (non-partisan)
The Colorado Sun (non-partisan)
The Denver Post (non-partisan, includes candidate Q&As)
League of Women Voters Colorado Ballot Measure Guide
Colorado Times Recorder “The Muckraker” Ballot Initiative Guide (with handy visuals)
Get More Smarter podcast special ballot measure episode
CityCast Denver podcast on ballot measures
COLOR’s Racial Justice Ballot Guide
Denver.gov Guide to County Ballot Measures (non-partisan)
ProgressNow Colorado Progressive Voter Guide
Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado candidate endorsements
Conservation Colorado candidate endorsements
Candidate Recommendations
US Senate: John Hickenlooper
US House (CD-1): Melat Kiros
Governor & Lieutenant Governor: Phil Weiser & Lesley Dahlkemper
Attorney General: Jena Griswold
Secretary of State: Amanda Gonzales
Treasurer: Jeff Bridges
State Board of Education: Lisa Escárcega
Denver City Council At-Large (Special Election): Monica Martinez
RTD Board District B: Bianka Emerson
We recommend retaining all justices to the Colorado Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and District Court (District 1). You can read the judicial performance evaluations here (Alexandra read them for you; everyone was recommended unanimously).
Statewide Ballot Measures
Colorado has a record 14 ballot measures this cycle. The short version: YES on Amendment 87 and Props NN and 137; NO on everything else.
We’re going to give you a lot of information about some of the more controversial measures. Advance Colorado is a right-wing, MAGA-funded group that put forth eight of these measures. The Denver Post notes, as Republicans become less and less competitive statewide, ballot measures have become conservatives’ only path to enacting their extreme policy agenda. Don’t fall for it!
Amendment 81: Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements to Federal Authorities
NO. This would amend the Colorado Constitution to require local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, further terrorizing our communities.
Amendment 82: Right to Natural Gas
NO. This amends the Colorado Constitution to enshrine a right for corporations to buy and sell natural gas, making Colorado the only state in the country with a constitutional right to gas 💨[fart emoji] . This would open up the state to lawsuits challenging laws trying to curb the effects of climate change.
Amendment 83: Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish
NO. We already have laws protecting hunting and fishing. This is just dumb.
Amendment 84: Mail Ballot Voter Identification
NO. This is a blatant voter suppression measure wrapped up in the guise of election integrity. This would require voters to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number along with a signature ON THE EXTERNAL ENVELOPE. That’s right, identify thieves -- we’re all putting sensitive information on millions of envelopes for all to see! Contrary to President Trump and Tina Peters’ claims, voter fraud is extremely rare -- between 0.0003 and 0.0025% according to the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice. Our signature matching system works just fine and allows time to correct for mistakes. This is a solution in search of a problem.
Amendment 85: Plain Language Ballot Questions
NO. This would tie the hands of the legislature and title board without setting clear standards for what constitutes plain language. This would also strip the ballot of additional information such as charts (like the one for 187, more below) that actually make the ballot easier to understand. The Colorado League of Women Voters and many other good government organizations oppose this measure.
Amendment 86: Congressional Redistricting
NO. President Trump and Republicans started the redistricting wars and our hands should not be tied in fighting back. After the 2030 census, our new districts will again be drawn by a non-partisan commission.
Amendment 87: Graduated Income Tax
YES!!!!! This would amend TABOR (the Taxpayer Bill of Rights) and create a new graduated state income tax to fund priorities like education, child care, and health care. Did you know Colorado is one of only 15 states with a flat income tax? Under TABOR, everyone -- from minimum wage gig workers to billionaires -- pays 4.4%. This measure would CUT INCOME TAXES for 97% of Coloradans, everyone earning less than $500,000 annually. Income over $500,000 is taxed at a graduated rate as well. Watch 9News on the misleading claims about Amendment 87. You can learn more at Protect Colorado’s Future -- calculate how much you will save! -- and the Bell Policy Center. See the official chart below. You can also read the state’s official fiscal summary here.
Prop NN: Keep and Spend Money for Children's Programs
YES! This would increase K-12 funding by up to 50% over the next 10 years by allowing the state to retain revenue it already collects, without raising taxes and with an annual independent audit. Colorado spends 16% LESS per pupil than the national average, placing us in the lowest third in the country even though we have the 6th highest average income in the country. Read ChalkBeat’s non-partisan take on NN.
Prop 132: Penalties for Fentanyl Crimes
NO. This is another one that sounds good but is incredibly bad. This proposal would make it a felony to possess any amount of fentanyl, even if you do not know the substance contains fentanyl. This means a teenager at a party could take a drug with fentanyl in it and be forced to serve a mandatory minimum sentence in prison of 8 to 32 years. This measure may actually increase overdose deaths, as people will be too scared to call 911 for fear of a felony conviction. This does nothing to help with addiction and treatment and merely adds to the bottom line of the private prison industry.
Measures 133, 134, and 135 are Colorado’s version of national scare tactics to make trans people the newest political wedge issue. They were put on the ballot by the same extreme right organizations and funders who have tried to restrict Colorado’s abortion rights laws over decades. Organizations from the Colorado PTA to the Colorado Psychiatric Association to the League of Women Voters have come out against these measures. Visit the Families Not Politics website to learn more.
Prop 133: Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor
NO. This proposition would require life in prison for human trafficking of minors. Again, this sounds like a good thing but often victims get caught up in the trafficking of others. This measure is opposed by Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault as their is no exception for victims. Read more in The Colorado Sun.
Prop 134: Male and Female Participation in Sports
NO. Proposition 134 is supposedly about "sports fairness, and who is against that? But the way this measure would enforce its restrictions goes way beyond anything normal or necessary. Under this measure, kids as young as five years old who someone thinks "don't look like girls" — maybe a short-haired girl, or a really great athlete, or simply a victim of bullying — could face a humiliating "sex verification" process. Yes, one rogue parent could force a coach or teacher to check the genitals of children before they play intramural sports. The proposition does not create an enforcement mechanism, nor does it create a standard for determining a student’s “biological reproductive system.” Every school district in Colorado would have to set its own standard and enforcement. Note that the NCAA already requires athletes competing in college women’s sports to be assigned female at birth.
Prop 135: Prohibit Certain Surgeries on Minors
NO. Proposition 135 is a direct attack on the rights of parents to make medical decisions for their children. The measure's overly broad language could complicate treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions that have nothing to do with gender-affirming care. It is also so poorly written that millions will be spent on court battles trying to figure out exactly how it will affect existing law, or if it's even legal at all.
From Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado:
This November, Colorado voters have an important choice to make. Ballot measures 134 and 135 (formerly known as initiatives 109 and 110) are deceptive and poorly written measures that threaten the safety of all Colorado children. They take deeply personal decisions out of the hands of families and their doctors and put them in the hands of politicians and government officials.
Make no mistake, these are anti-trans measures, but all kids feel the consequences when we create policies that invite adults to question a child's body, identity, or health care.
Measure 134 opens the door to invasive gender checks of our kids while at school. What happens if another parent or teacher believes a girl is too tall or too fast, or otherwise doesn't conform to someone else's expectations? The vague language of this measure raises serious questions about how the rule would be enforced. Every child deserves to participate in sports without facing unnecessary scrutiny, physical gender checks, or having their identity questioned.
Measure 135 interferes with private medical decisions that belong to families and health care providers. We all know health care decisions are deeply personal. Families deserve to work with their doctors to determine what is best for their child, without political interference.
We can all agree that the government should not be overruling the decisions of families and their health care providers.
Colorado has a chance to send a powerful message that families deserve freedom, privacy, and respect. That's why we're asking you to vote NO on Measures 134 and 135.
Together, we can protect Colorado’s kids.
Prop 136: Income Tax Rate Cap
NO. This is a direct counter-measure to Amendment 87 in an effort to maintain Colorado’s regressive flat tax at 4.4% of federal taxable income for both individuals and corporations. DO NOT vote yes to both as they cancel each other out and, in the case that both pass, the highest vote getter becomes law. Check out 9News on the conflicting tax measures.
Prop 137: Sporting Goods Sales Tax for Conservation
YES. This measure would redirect taxes already collected on sporting goods towards conservation measures, parks and wildlife, and wildfire prevention. It’s a little confusing and the enforcement might get a little messy on the back end but more money for wildfire prevention is a good thing.
Ballot Measure 7A: Front Range Passenger Rail District (does not apply to Denver)
YES. This measure proposes a 0.333% sales tax in the Front Range Passenger Rail District to fund the southern portion of the Colorado Connector.
And here’s the handy dandy visual guide from The Muckracker:
Denver Ballot Measures
Referred Question 2H: Enforce worker protections
YES
Referred Question 2I: Move to a two-year budget process
YES
Referred Question 2J: Modernize the Civil Service code
YES
2K: Renew Denver's 20-year franchise with Xcel
Undecided. Xcel needs the city's permission to run power lines and gas pipes under and over Denver's streets. In exchange, Xcel pays the city a fee (about $34M a year, which comes from our bills), pays to move its equipment when the city builds things, and spends about $10M a year burying power lines. Denver voters have to approve this deal every 20 years.
A yes vote renews it through 2046, along with a side agreement promising some energy-assistance money and pilot programs.
A no vote allows the current deal expire at year's end. Xcel keeps the lights on either way, and the city and Xcel would go back to negotiating.
Why we're undecided: The City Council rejected a related deal last year. The basic outline was brought back, but the side agreement is better. The Mayor, Xcel, labor, and the City Council (10–2) support it. But it locks Denver in for 20 years with limited options for an early exit. Xcel's shareholders chip in only about $6M over those 20 years, and ratepayers cover most of the rest. Other cities did better at the same table: in 2014, Minneapolis got a 10-year deal it could exit after five, and Boulder can walk away every few years. Denver got modest gains on a once-in-a-generation deal. Almost no environmental groups have weighed in on this agreement, and the lack of focus on policy innovation from all sides involved is frustrating.
Initiated Ordinance 311: Prohibit the force feeding of birds
NO. There are fewer than 10 restaurants in Denver to which this would apply and the world is on fire and democracy is at stake but sure, let’s spend time on this. We are voting no in a likely losing effort to discourage dumb ballot measures.
Denver Public School Ballot Issue 4A: Mill levy override of $44 million
YES. This measure would increase property taxes by up to $44 million in 2026 and annually thereafter for educational purposes, including educator pay, career and technical education, student mental health, and special education, with spending reported in the district’s published annual independent audit. Property taxes would rise by about $72 per year for a Denver home worth $624,800, which is the median home value in the city.