Elections are Almost Here!

There has been a lot of anticipation for elections this year, and they are approaching in tandem with the colder weather! It is time for everyone to play a part in our nation’s future. Unfortunately, for those of you who have already received your ballots in the mail, voting may seem more challenging than expected. On the Colorado ballot specifically, there is a long list of propositions and amendments to vote for/against as well as the positions of presidency and offices. Although I will refrain from providing any analyses of political candidates on the ballot, I will summarize the various state propositions and amendments below. Hopefully, this will help you if you encounter any difficulties with your (possibly very first) Colorado ballot:

• Amendment B – Whether or not to repeal the Gallagher Amendment. In brief, the Gallagher Amendment sets a fixed ratio for property taxes in Colorado (45% for residential properties & 55% for commercial properties). If approved, it may provide financial relief to schools and local governments at the cost of a smaller tax break for homeowners in 2021.
• Amendment 77 – Whether or not towns Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek can put restrictions on bets and casino games. If approved, local casino voters can altogether decrease or remove these restrictions. It will greatly boost local revenues, but will also increase gambling rates.
• Proposition 114 – This is an interesting one! It is asking whether or not the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency can reintroduce grey wolves into western Colorado starting in 2023. This may decrease populations of big game and interfere with ranchers’ businesses, but it would expand the grey wolf’s habitat beyond just Wyoming and New Mexico.
• Proposition 117 – Whether or not to expand the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in reference to “enterprises” run by the state. If approved, it would require lawmakers to get voter approval to create new enterprises. See more information in the Blue Book (p. 49) and Colorado Public Radio voter guide.
• Amendment C – Whether or not nonprofit organizations can 1) hire outside firms to oversee bingo and raffles to raise money and 2) be eligible for licenses after three years instead of five. This is an easing of rules and would allow for more fundraising opportunities, but it could also signal an expansion of charitable gaming.
• Proposition EE – Proposes whether or not to increases taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine products. The extra revenue would go towards education (i.e. teachers and school development), but would prove financially negative for nicotine consumers.
• Proposition 115 – Whether or not to ban abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy. The only exemption would be if the woman’s life is threatened in a related way. If approved, this would penalize doctors and may impede in women’s personal decisions. Right now, Colorado is one of seven states with no prohibitions on abortion (at any stage of a pregnancy), so this would be a dramatic change!
• Proposition 118 – Approving this would create a state-run paid family and medical leave program for employees. It would start in 2024 and would allow employees up to 12 weeks of leave from their jobs. The money will be generated by employees/employers who each pay 0.45% of their weekly paycheck into a state pool. The risk with this proposition is that, if the financing of the program ever needed to be increased, many employers/employees would be forced to pay higher quantities into the pool.
• Amendment 76 – This would change the language in the Colorado Constitution from “every citizen” may vote to “only citizens” may vote in future Colorado elections at state and local levels.
• Proposition 113 – If approved, this would reverse Colorado’s addition to the national popular vote compact, already approved by the Colorado State Legislature. If Colorado remains under the national popular vote compact, the state will award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who accumulates the most votes nationwide, but, this will only happen after enough states sign on to the compact to decide a national election. This will override Colorado’s ability to award its electoral votes to the most popular presidential candidate in the state (a.k.a. the current Electoral College process). See more information at the Blue Book (p. 32) and the Colorado Pubic Radio voter guide.
• Proposition 116 – Simply put, this proposition is asking to decrease Colorado’s income tax from 4.63% to 4.55%. While this would save the average taxpayer roughly $37 (depending on income) for the year, it would cut into state funds for education and health care. The point of contention here is whether or not Colorado’s funding should fall so much on the state’s taxpayers.

These are all of the propositions and amendments on this year’s Colorado ballot. Although some of them are unclear and/or worded oddly, it is important that we vote to the best of our abilities. If you are looking for more information about your ballot, you can click here. For the Boulder Democratic Party’s voter guide click here. For the Boulder Republican Party’s voter guide click here. Also, for more information on how to vote, click here. I hope this helps you in your endeavors to vote. Best of luck fellow Coloradoans!