History of Election Results for Ballot Issues
Both the Colorado Constitution and state statutes are subject to amendment by legislatively referred and citizen-initiated measures. The process is governed by the Colorado Constitution and state law.1
Legislatively referred measures. The Colorado General Assembly may refer constitutional measures to the voters with a two-thirds vote of both houses, and may refer statutory measures to the voters with a majority vote of both houses. The General Assembly submitted its first measure to Colorado voters in 1880.
Citizen-initiated measures. Any Colorado resident may place a constitutional or statutory measure on the ballot. The use of citizen initiated measures for constitutional and statutory changes was voted into law in 1910 and became available in 1912.
Even- and odd-numbered year elections. State law clarifies the types of proposals that may appear on a statewide ballot in odd-numbered years.2 Odd-year election proposals are limited to state matters arising under TABOR. These types of proposals include a new tax, a tax rate increase, an extension of an expiring tax, a tax policy change directly causing a net revenue gain, and emergency taxes. They also include the creation of multiple-year fiscal obligations or debt, an increase in the assessment rate for a class of property, the weakening of a state limit on spending, and voter-approved revenue changes. State law does not limit the types of proposals that are eligible for the ballot in even-numbered years.
Numbering and lettering for ballot measures. Beginning in November 2010, statewide citizen-initiated measures are numbered, while those that are legislatively referred are lettered. Table 1 provides further detail on the numbering and lettering schedule for statewide ballot measures.
|
|
Amendment
(Constitutional)
|
Proposition
(Statutory)
|
|---|---|---|
|
Citizen-Initiated
|
1 to 99
(Beginning with 60*)
|
100 to 199
(Beginning with 100*)
|
|
Legislatively Referred
|
A to Z
(Beginning with P*)
|
AA to ZZ
(Beginning with AA*) |
Statewide Ballot Measures Since 1880
The tables below provide information about statewide ballot measures since 1880. Table 2 displays ballot measures by type, origin, and outcome. Table 3 classifies measures by category.
|
Type/Origin
|
Total
|
Adopted
|
Rejected
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Constitutional
|
348
|
161
|
183
|
|
Citizen-initiated
|
155
|
49
|
106
|
|
Legislatively referred
|
189
|
112
|
77
|
|
Citizen-initiated/No vote*
|
4
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Statutory
|
109
|
43
|
64
|
|
Citizen-initiated
|
74
|
30
|
44
|
|
Legislatively referred
|
20
|
10
|
10
|
|
Referendums**
|
13
|
3
|
10
|
|
Citizen-initiated/No vote*
|
2
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Question***
|
9
|
4
|
5
|
|
Total Measures
|
466
|
208
|
252
|
|
Category*
|
Total
|
Adopted
|
Rejected
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Abortion
|
8
|
2
|
6
|
|
Agriculture and Livestock
|
6
|
1
|
5
|
|
Alcohol
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
|
Business and Labor**
|
25
|
11
|
10
|
|
Children and Domestic Matters
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
|
Civil Rights**
|
8
|
4
|
3
|
|
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
|
Education
|
22
|
10
|
12
|
|
Elections
|
44
|
30
|
14
|
|
Energy and Utilities
|
13
|
4
|
9
|
|
Gaming
|
23
|
9
|
14
|
|
General Assembly
|
16
|
10
|
6
|
|
Government Finance
|
17
|
5
|
12
|
|
Health and Human Services
|
11
|
6
|
5
|
|
Initiative Process
|
13
|
6
|
7
|
|
Judiciary and Courts
|
22
|
13
|
9
|
|
Local Government
|
22
|
11
|
11
|
|
Marijuana**
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
|
Natural Resources
|
10
|
3
|
7
|
|
Public Employee Compensation
|
16
|
5
|
11
|
|
Public Pension
|
7
|
2
|
5
|
|
Property
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
|
State Government
|
47
|
18
|
29
|
|
Taxation
|
72
|
24
|
48
|
|
Technical Amendments
|
10
|
9
|
1
|
|
Term Limits
|
13
|
6
|
7
|
|
Transportation
|
10
|
5
|
5
|
|
Total
|
466
|
208
|
252
|
