What's at stake on Colorado's ballot in 2026
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As early voting gets underway in Colorado, the stakes of the 2026 election are coming into focus.
Why it matters: Who's in charge, what Colorado's cultural norms look like and how the state collects and spends money are all at stake in this election.
Three major themes are emerging.
1. Democratic control: Voters will determine whether the Democratic Party retains full control of state government — and gains a supermajority in both legislative chambers.
- By the numbers: Democrats are defending all four independently elected statewide offices and need just one seat in both the House and Senate to secure veto-proof majorities that can set the agenda and put constitutional amendments before voters.
2. Conservative values: Republicans are turning to the ballot to put limits on Democrats' agenda.
- Ten questions touch cultural fault lines, asking voters whether to require reporting certain immigration violations to federal authorities, constitutionally protect natural gas use, prohibit transgender students from competing on certain sports teams and increase voter ID requirements.
What they're saying: Conservative group Advance Colorado, which is behind multiple measures, "has created an alternative governing model using the ballot initiative process," political analyst Floyd Ciruli tells us.
- "It is a powerful counter to the Democratic Legislature and the general liberal cultural zeitgeist."
3. Tax fight: Four ballot measures with far-reaching consequences address how we levy and collect state taxes.
- Proposition 136 would protect the state's flat income tax and cap the rate for individuals and corporations at 4.4%.
- Amendment 87 would replace the current system with a graduated system that raises taxes on the state's wealthiest individuals.
- Two others would steer more state revenue toward conservation, through taxes on outdoor gear sales (Proposition 137), and education, by raising the state's current TABOR cap on spending (Proposition NN).