Colorado voter guide: What to know about the candidates and ballot measures

• We've rounded up 1-minute voter guides to key races and ballot measures to get you smarter, faster about your ballot.

Here's your guide to the 2026 election:

📆 Key dates

• Oct. 12: All ballot drop boxes are open.
• Oct. 19: Voting centers open for in-person voting or ballot drop-off.
• Oct. 26: Last recommended day to mail your ballot.
• Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls are open 7am–7pm. County clerks must receive ballots by 7pm.
• Nov. 12: Deadline for eligible military and overseas ballots to arrive and for voters to resolve signature issues.

☑️ Colorado ballot measures

Colorado voters will decide 14 statewide ballot measures, plus local questions on everything from taxes to transportation.

• Amendment 82: Right to natural gas
• Amendment 83: Right to hunting and fishing
• Amendment 84: Voter ID requirements
• Amendment 85: Rules for ballot measures
• Amendment 86: Congressional redistricting

• Amendment 87 and Propositions NN, 136 and 137: Taxes and TABOR
• Amendment 81: Police cooperation with ICE
• Proposition 132: Fentanyl penalties
• Proposition 133: Human trafficking penalties
• Propositions 134 and 135: Transgender youth
• Issue 7A: CoCo passenger rail

🗳️ Statewide candidate races

Democrats are defending five statewide seats.

• Colorado's U.S. Senate race — Hickenlooper vs. Baisley
• Weiser and Marx battle for governor
• Allen vs. Griswold in AG race
• Gonzalez and Wiley vie for secretary of state
• Bridges and Grantham compete for state treasurer

Go deeper

• Marx, Weiser clash over domestic violence
• Weiser quietly courts GOP leaders ahead of Election Day
• Governor's race pits insider versus outsider
• What we know — and don't — about Victor Marx
• Marx's LG pick poised to play a key role
• Baisley defends Trump's Iran war
• Weiser taps Lesley Dahlkemper for lieutenant governor

1st Congressional District

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros upset longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Denver). Now, she faces two opponents.

1-minute voter guide: Blau and Kiros seek 1st District seat

• Kiros win spotlights local Democratic Socialists' growing influence
• Melat Kiros sits on a Democratic island in Colorado
• Newcomer Blau casts himself as Denver's moderate candidate
• Progressive challenger tests DeGette's hold
• Jewish leaders press Kiros over antisemitism claims

4th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Windsor) faces a competitive Democratic challenger, Eileen Laubacher, in her reelection bid.

1-minute voter guide: Lauren Boebert and Eileen Laubacher seek 4th District seat

• Military service key for Democratic congressional candidates

5th Congressional District

Democrat Jessica Killin is trying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in this El Paso County district.

1-minute voter guide: Crank and Killin battle for the 5th Congressional District

8th Congressional District

Democrat Manny Rutinel is trying to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in one of the nation's most competitive House races.

1-minute voter guide: Gabe Evans and Manny Rutinel compete in the 8th District

• Evans, Rutinel clash in high-stakes congressional debate
• What voters in Colorado's most competitive district are saying
• Gabe Evans spent big on taxpayer-funded "franking"
• How Latino voters could sway key Colorado races
• Manny Rutinel once said veganism is a solution to food costs

More election coverage

• 1-minute voter guide: Denver's 6 ballot measures
• 1- minute voter guide: Denver's at-large city council seat
• Colorado prints longest-ever Blue Book voter guide
• GOP candidates try to blame Dems for affordability crisis
• Democrats think they can win all GOP seats in Colorado
• Federal uncertainty reshapes Denver's election prep
• Denver council candidates seem to agree on almost everything