Colorado voters could be in for a blockbuster ballot this fall, deciding a potential record number of measures in the Nov. 3 general election. 

Eight measures have already qualified for the ballot, and another seven are under review by state officials. If all 15 ultimately make it onto the ballot, it would be a modern record for the number of questions posed to voters.

Citizen-initiated ballot measures must acquire a certain number of valid signatures from registered Colorado voters to be placed on the ballot. The following have already been reviewed and approved by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office: 

Initiative 85 

The measure would make any possession of fentanyl a felony and increase penalties for distributing, manufacturing and selling fentanyl. It would also limit sentencing exceptions for fentanyl-related crimes that cause a person’s death and require treatment for some drug crimes. The measure needs a majority of the vote to pass and is backed by Advance Colorado, a conservative advocacy nonprofit. The group is also supporting several other measures on this year’s ballot. 

Initiative 95

The measure would amend the state constitution to require local and state law enforcement to notify federal immigration authorities when they charge a person with a violent crime, or have a prior felony conviction, if law enforcement cannot confirm that person’s immigration status. If approved, it would effectively overturn state laws passed by Democrats that limit coordination between law enforcement and federal immigration officials. Because the measure is adding language to the state constitution, it needs the support of 55% of voters to pass. It is another measure being supported by Advance Colorado. 

Initiative 108

The measure would require life in prison without the possibility of parole for people convicted of human trafficking of a minor by raising the penalty from a Class 2 to a Class 1 felony. It needs a majority of the vote to pass. The measure is backed by Protect Kids Colorado, an advocacy group focused on parental rights that is also pushing ballot measures to restrict healthcare and participation in sports for transgender youth. 

Initiatives 109 and 110

Both measures have to do with transgender youth. Initiative 109 would require youth to compete on sports teams that match their assigned sex at birth and would bar transgender girls from competing in girls athletic teams. It would also mandate K-12 and collegiate sports programs to designate teams as either all-male, all-female or co-ed. Initiative 110 would ban certain gender-affirming surgeries for minors under the age of 18, even if they have their parents’ consent. Both measures need a majority of the vote to pass and are backed by Protect Kids Colorado.

Initiative 175 

The measure would amend the state constitution to require the legislature to spend all the money it collects from vehicle registration, motor parts and gas taxes on roads, which would translate to around $700 million annually. While these taxes already provide revenue for transit projects, the legislature has, at times, reduced that funding to help address budget shortfalls. Since the measure would add language to the constitution, it requires 55% of the vote to pass. The measure is backed by Restore Our Roads, a coalition that includes the Colorado Contractors Association. 

Initiative 177

The measure would enshrine in the Colorado Constitution a right for consumers to buy natural gas for cooking, heating or business use, and that utilities have the right to sell natural gas for homes and businesses. The measure would effectively ban state and local governments from banning or limiting natural gas to further climate goals. It would require 55% of the vote to pass and is led by Advance Colorado. 

Proposition NN

The measure would lift the state’s revenue cap under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, to increase funding for K-12 education. Passed by voters as a constitutional amendment in 1992, TABOR limits state government growth to the rate of population growth plus inflation, and any excess revenue must be refunded to taxpayers. The measure would eliminate TABOR refunds to increase education funding by billions of dollars annually. While it would change aspects of the constitution, it needs only a majority of the vote to pass because it does not add new language. Prop. NN is the only measure this year that was placed on the ballot by the legislature, with Democrats voting to refer the measure to voters amid unified Republican opposition. 

The secretary of state’s office is still reviewing signatures for the following initiatives and must approve or deny the measures by Sept. 2: 

Initiatives 195 and 232 

Both measures have to do with Colorado’s income tax rate. Initiative 195 would replace the state’s current flat tax of 4.4% with a tiered rate that would raise taxes on higher earners and lower taxes for those earning less than $500,000. The higher tax rate would be up to 8.4% for households earning $1 million or more, while those earning below $100,000 would pay as little as 3.7%. The measure is expected to generate roughly $2 billion more in annual state revenue that would be used to fund healthcare, education and early childhood programs. It would remove language from the constitution and only needs a simple majority of the vote to pass. The measure is backed by a coalition of progressive groups called Protect Colorado’s Future. Initiative 232 would freeze the state’s flat income tax at 4.4% and prevent efforts to increase it. The measure only needs a simple majority of the vote to pass and is backed by Advance Colorado. 

Initiative 234 

The measure would require all questions that are placed on the ballot to be written in plain language that could be understood at no higher than an eighth grade level. It also bans the legislature from passing laws that could conflict with that requirement by mandating additional information be included on ballots. It requires 55% of the vote to pass and is supported by Advance Colorado. 

Initiative 256 

The measure would prohibit the state’s congressional maps from being redrawn outside a typical cycle, which follows the U.S. Census every 10 years, unless the new maps are approved by a nonpartisan commission and the Colorado Supreme Court. The measure is a constitutional amendment and requires 55% of the vote to pass. It is backed by Advance Colorado and came in response to efforts by a Democratic-aligned group to place measures on the ballot that would have temporarily redrawn the state’s congressional districts in favor of Democrats — measures which were ultimately blocked by the state supreme court. 

Initiative 302

The measure would enshrine in the state constitution a right to “hunt, fish and take fish and wildlife including by traditional methods.” It would also include language that hunting and fishing “shall be the primary and preferred means of responsibly managing fish and wildlife populations” and clarifies that it does not prevent state officials from regulating hunting, fishing and wildlife. It requires 55% of the vote to pass and is backed by the International Order of T. Roosevelt, a Wisconsin-based organization, with support from Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, Howl for Wildlife and the 76 Group. 

Initiative 308

The measure creates a dedicated fund for environmental conservation and wildfire prevention with existing revenue from taxes on sporting goods. It also exempts that revenue from being refunded to taxpayers under TABOR. It needs a simple majority of the vote to pass and is supported by a coalition of conservation groups that include Conservation Colorado, the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land and Western Resource Advocates.

Initiative 362

The measure would add language in the Colorado Constitution requiring that voters submit the last four digits of their social security number or their Colorado ID when voting by mail. The measure requires 55% of the vote to pass and is led by former Colorado election officials.