2023 U.S. state ballot measures
2024» «2022
Overview
Scorecard
Tuesday Count
Deadlines
Requirements
Lawsuits
Readability
Voter guides
Election results
Campaigns
Polls
Media editorials
Filed initiatives
Finances
Contributions
Signature costs
Ballot Measure Monthly
Signature requirements
Have you subscribed yet? Join the hundreds of thousands of readers trusting Ballotpedia to keep them up to date with the latest political news. Sign up for the Daily Brew. Click here to learn more.

InColorado,two statewide ballot measures were certified for theballot for the election onNovember 7, 2023.

Want to learn more about ballot measures in other states in 2023?

• You can find a list of 2023's certifiedstatewide ballot measureshere.

• You can find a list of 2023's certifiedlocal ballot measureshere.

• Here is a list of bills and resolutions passed passed in 2023 to change thelaws governing ballot measures.

On the ballot

Potential measures

For 2023, measures that were certified for the ballot are availablehere, and measures that failed to make the ballot are availablehere.

Getting measures on the ballot

See also:Signature requirements for ballot measures in Colorado andLaws governing the initiative process in Colorado

Odd-year ballot measures

Measures that can go on the ballot during odd years are limited to topics that concern taxes or state fiscal matters arising under TABOR, the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (Section 20 of Article X of the Colorado Constitution). This requirement was added to state statute in 1994.^[1]

Measures that can go on odd-year election ballots include measures proposing new taxes, tax increases, an extension of taxes, tax policy changes resulting in a net tax revenue gain, changes to revenue or fiscal obligations, delays in voting on ballot issues, and approval for the state to retain and spend state revenues that otherwise would be refunded for exceeding an estimate included in the ballot information booklet.^[1][2]

TABOR ballot measures

Since 1992, when TABOR was adopted, through 2022, Colorado voters have decided on 36 statewide ballot measures that were designed to increase revenue for the state, which required voter approval under TABOR. Of the 36 measures, 11 (30.55%) were approved and 25 (69.44%) were defeated.

Of the 36 measures, 17 were referred to the ballot by the state legislature and 19 were placed on the ballot through citizen initiative petitions. All 11 measures that were approved were referred to the ballot by the state legislature.

Note: This list includes measures that wererequired to be referred to the ballot for voter approval under TABOR. The list does not includeevery ballot measure that may have had a potential effect on TABOR refund amounts.

Deadlines and signature requirements

In Colorado, citizens have the powers ofinitiative, both statute and constitutional, andveto referendum. To get aninitiated state statute orinitiated constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2023, proponents need to collect 124,238 valid signatures. Petitioners have six months to circulate signature petitions. The deadline for submitting signatures was August 7, 2023.

Colorado is one of 23 states that allow citizens to refer an enacted bill to the ballot as aveto referendum. As with initiatives, a veto referendum requires 124,238 valid signatures. The signature deadline was August 7, 2023, by 5 p.m. local time. A referendum petition must be filed within 90 days following theColorado General Assembly's final adjournment of the session in which the bill was passed.

The Colorado General Assembly may also propose amendments to the people aslegislatively referred constitutional amendments. A two-thirds vote of each chamber of the legislature is required to refer an amendment to the ballot.

Proposing measures and applying to petition

Initiative proponents must submit the original text of the measure to the directors of the legislative council staff and the office of legal services for review and comment. The results of the review are presented in at least one public meeting. The proponents may then make revisions in response to the recommendations given at the meeting. If the revisions go beyond the recommendations, the revised language must be resubmitted. If no further recommendations/comments are required an additional hearing is not required. Compliance with these recommendations is not mandatory.

Once the proposed measure has been reviewed, the original, amended and final drafts must be filed with theColorado secretary of state. The secretary must then convene a "title board," which includes thesecretary of state, theColorado attorney general, and the director of the Office of Legislative Legal Services or the director's designee. At a public meeting, the board selects a title for the measure by majority vote. The title must be phrased in the form of a "yes" or "no" question. The board may also reject a measure if it fails to comply with the state's single-subject rule. If the proponents or any registered voter are unsatisfied with the title board's chosen title or single-subject ruling, a motion for a rehearing may be filed. If objections remain after the rehearing, the proponents or any registered voter may file an appeal with theColorado Supreme Court.

Referral of 2023 constitutional amendments

The following table illustrates the vote requirements for each constitutional amendment certified for the ballot, the votes each amendment received, and how Democrats and Republicans voted on each amendment in each legislative chamber:

Historical facts

See also:List of Colorado ballot measures andHistory of Initiative & Referendum in Colorado

A total of 17 measures appeared on the statewide ballot in Colorado during odd-numbered election years between 1999 through 2021. Of the 17 measures, 6 were approved (35.29%) and 11 were defeated (64.71%). From 1999 through 2021, the number of measures on the odd-year ballot ranged from zero to three.

Local ballot measures

See also:Colorado 2023 local ballot measures

Click here to read more about 2023 local ballot measures in Colorado.

Not on the ballot

Type	Number	Title	Subject	Description	Sponsor	Status
CISS	#3	Fee for Attainable Housing Fund Initiative	Taxes andHousing	Creates the Colorado Attainable Housing Fund to support attainable housing (as defined); funded through a fee equal to 0.1% of a property's purchase price minus $200,000	Dalton Kelley & Dee Wisor
CISS	#15, 16, & 17	Decrease Income Tax Rate Initiative	Taxes	Decreases the state income tax rate (Version #15: 4.40% to 4.35%) and (Versions #16 and 17: 4.40% to 4.25%)	Suzanne Taheri and Steven Ward
CICA	#19	School Funding Initiative	Education	Creates a right for parents to direct per-pupil funding to a school of their choice, including public schooling, private schooling, charter schooling, and homeschooling	Suzanne Taheri and Steven Ward
CISS	#39 & 40	Allow State to Retain and Spend Revenue to Offset Property Tax Revenue Reduction Initiative	Taxes andProperty	Allows the state to retain and spend revenue above the TABOR limit on offsetting reduced revenue from a reduction in property tax revenue	Scott Wasserman, Kevin Vick
CISS	#42	Property Tax Rate Reduction Initiative	Taxes andProperty	Reduces the property tax assessment rate to 26% for lodging property, agricultural property, renewable energy production property, and other nonresidential property valued under $3 million, and to 6.5% for owner-occupied residential property that is valued at $2 million or less	Scott Wasserman, Kevin Vick

See also

• 2023 ballot measures
• List of Colorado ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Colorado
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Colorado

External links

• Colorado Secretary of State Proposed Initiative Status
• Initiatives Filed with the Colorado Legislative Counsel

	v • e State ofColorado Denver (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2025 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy