What to watch in Colorado's 2025 election
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Today's election will answer major questions about how Colorado voters view government spending and cost-of-living issues.
State of play: More than 100 ballot questions will be decided in cities and towns across the state, according to the Colorado Municipal League, and many more measures at the county level.
- A large portion involves new or existing taxes to support everything from a community pool in Cañon City to a new fire station in Westminster.
What they're saying: "This fall could test how much fiscal appetite voters have left amid a state budget meltdown and a federal government shutdown, especially if they are personally affected," the league's executive director Kevin Bommer told the Denver Post.
What to watch: Here are key ballot measures across the state.
- In Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston is investing all his political capital in a $950 million bond package intended to revitalize neighborhoods and build out a new park.
- Denver's Referendum 310 is challenging the city's ban on flavored tobacco. It is the most expensive race on the city's ballot after billionaire Michael Bloomberg contributed a record-setting $5 million to support the ban.
- Eight counties across the state are asking voters to increase taxes on purchases or lodging to address child care, including a first-of-its-kind special district to boost early childhood education in Garfield and Pitkin counties, and part of Eagle County.
- Vail is considering a 6% tax hike on short-term rental units to address affordable housing in the valley. The measure is drawing resistance from Airbnb, which contributed $30,000 to an opposition committee.
- Littleton is considering amending its charter to limit development in certain residential areas to promote single-family homes, a measure that will draw the ire of affordable housing advocates.
The bottom line: This cycle's local ballot measures are a harbinger for voters' mood entering the 2026 midterm elections.