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2026 Colorado Voter Guide
The Denver Post voter guide rounds up our explainers, stories, candidate Q&As and editorials for the 2026 election. The guide will be updated with new stories up to Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
On every Colorado ballot →
14 statewide measures, grouped by issue, and 5 statewide races
Ballot measures: Taxes and funding · Immigration and crime · Elections and government · Transgender youth · Energy and the outdoors
Races: U.S. Senate · Governor · Attorney General · Secretary of State · State Treasurer
Depends on where you live →
Races: U.S. House · State Board of Education · CU Regent · RTD Director · State Senate and State House · County Commissioner
Ballot measures: Front Range Rail tax · Denver · Aurora · Douglas County · Jefferson County
Editorials →
Where The Denver Post editorial board stands on the measures and races
On every Colorado ballot
Ballot measures: Taxes and funding
Amendment 87
Graduated income tax
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 87 asks voters to remake tax code, raise tax rates on the very highest-earning Coloradans
› How the ballot proposal to overhaul Colorado taxes could change your tax bill — and who pays more
Proposition 136
Income tax rate cap
Changes state law
› Proposition 136 would cap Colorado’s income tax at current rate
Proposition NN
Public education funding increase
Changes state law
› Proposition NN would bridge Colorado’s gap in education funding, forgoing tax refunds
Proposition 137
Sporting goods sales taxes for conservation
Changes state law
› Proposition 137 would set aside $175 million in sales taxes for conservation, wildfire prevention
Immigration and crime
Amendment 81
Immigrant arrest notification
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 81 would require Colorado law enforcement to alert ICE in certain situations
Proposition 132
Penalties for fentanyl crimes
Changes state law
› Proposition 132 would mandate prison for any amount of fentanyl dealing, make possession a felony
Proposition 133
Human trafficking of a minor
Changes state law
› Proposition 133 would punish child sex trafficking in Colorado with a mandatory prison sentence
Elections and government
Amendment 84
Mail ballot voter ID info
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 84 would add ID requirement to Colorado’s mail voting system
Amendment 85
Plain language ballot questions
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 85 would require Colorado ballot questions to be written in plain language
Amendment 86
Congressional redistricting limits
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 86 would regulate mid-decade congressional redistricting in Colorado
Transgender youth
Proposition 134
Male/female participation in school sports
Changes state law
› Proposition 134 would ban transgender students from playing on girls’ sports teams
Proposition 135
Prohibit gender-affirming surgeries on minors
Changes state law
› Proposition 135 would outlaw gender-affirming surgeries for young people in Colorado
Energy and the outdoors
Amendment 82
Right to natural gas
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 82 would enshrine a right to natural gas use in the Colorado Constitution
Amendment 83
Right to hunt and fish
Changes the constitution
› Amendment 83 would make hunting and fishing a constitutional right in Colorado
Statewide races
U.S. Senate
Mark Baisley (R) · John Hickenlooper (D) · Bob Chew (FP) · Christopher Baum (AVP) · Blake Huber (L) · Adam Withrow (UP) | Candidate Q&A →
Governor
Victor Marx (R) · Phil Weiser (D) · Stephen T. Hamilton (ACP) · Eric Mulder (L) · Jeff Peckman (UP) · Erik Underwood (AVP) · Greg Lopez (UAF) | Candidate Q&A →
Attorney General
Michael J. Allen (R) · Jena Griswold (D) | Candidate Q&A →
Secretary of State
Amanda Gonzalez (D) · James Wiley (R) · Sean Vadney (L) · Amanda Campbell (ACP) · Celeste Landry (FP) | Candidate Q&A →
State Treasurer
Jeff Bridges (D) · Kevin Grantham (R) · Jodie Barr (L) · Marilee Langner Sturgis (AVP) | Candidate Q&A →
Depends on where you live
Not sure of your district? Look up your sample ballot →
U.S. House
District 1
Melat Kiros (D) · Christy Peterson (R) · Critter Milton (UP) · Chad Humphrey (L) · Shimon Blau (UAF) | Candidate Q&A →
District 2
Joe Neguse (D) · Kelley Anne Dennison (R) · Gaylon Kent (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 3
Dwayne L. Romero (D) · Jeff Hurd (R) · Cory Robertson (L) · Clifton Brown (UAF) | Candidate Q&A →
District 4
Lauren Boebert (R) · Eileen Laubacher (D) · Douglas Mangeris (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 5
Jeff Crank (R) · Jessica Killin (D) · Christopher Mitchell (ACP) · Mark “Marky Jr” Elworth (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 6
Jason Crow (D) · Jason Clark (R) · Patty McMahon (L) · Meredith Ryan (UP) · Samir Witta (UAF) | Candidate Q&A →
District 7
Tim Bennett (R) · Brittany Pettersen (D) · Susan Hall (UP) · Lawrence Kyle Clark (ACP) · Dan “Kilo” Sallis (L) · Joe Krzeczkowski (UAF) | Candidate Q&A →
District 8
Gabe Evans (R) · Manny Rutinel (D) · Dave Wood (L) | Candidate Q&A →
State Board of Education
District 1
Lisa Escárcega (D) · Frederick Espinoza (R) · Clayton Casciato (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 3
Sherri M Wright (R) · Barb Clementi (D) | Candidate Q&A →
District 7
Karla Esser (D) · Steve Barton (R) · Ross Klopf (L) | Candidate Q&A →
CU Regent
District 2
Marty Neilson (R) · Edie Hooton (D) · Richard Friend (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 6
Veanessa Burbage (R) · Ilana Spiegel (D) · Joe Johnson (L) | Candidate Q&A →
District 7
Paul Mueller (R) · Nolbert Chavez (D) · BetteRose Ryan (L) | Candidate Q&A →
RTD Director
District B
John Glenn · Bianka Emerson | Candidate Q&A →
District C
Joe Meyer | Candidate Q&A →
District J
Coleman Erickson | Candidate Q&A →
District K
Michael Farrington · Jessica Sandgren | Candidate Q&A →
District L
Ian Harwick (no questionnaire returned)
District N
Cindy Arcuri | Candidate Q&A →
District O
Jack Rosenthal · Audrey DeBarros | Candidate Q&A →
State Senate and State House
Candidates in districts across the state answered our questionnaire. Go to the Q&As →
County Commissioner
Adams County District 3
Emma Pinter (D) | Candidate Q&A →
Adams County District 4
Karen Deaguero (D) · Joseph Domenico (R) | Candidate Q&A →
Arapahoe County District 2
Jessica Campbell (D) · Carl Schuldies (R) | Candidate Q&A →
Arapahoe County District 4
Sonda Banka (R) · Leslie Summey (D) | Candidate Q&A →
Douglas County District 1
Jake Bockenfeld (R) · Irene Bonham (D) | Candidate Q&A →
Jefferson County District 3
Lisa Cutter (D) · Stephanie Vandenberg (R) | Candidate Q&A →
Regional ballot measures
Issue 7A
Front Range Rail tax
Communities from Pueblo to Fort Collins
› Ballot Issue 7A would expand passenger rail across metro Denver, Front Range through sales tax
Denver ballot measures
Issue 4A
Denver Public Schools mill levy override
› Denver Ballot Issue 4A asks voters to approve $44 million mill levy override for DPS
Measures 2H–2K
Denver referred measures
Explainer coming soon
Ordinance 311
Foie gras ban initiative
Explainer coming soon
Aurora ballot measures
Issues 3A–3C
Aurora bond package
› Aurora bond measures ask voters to approve nearly $265 million in spending on public projects
Question 3D
Election change to even years
› Aurora’s Ballot Question 3D would move municipal elections to even-numbered years
Douglas County ballot measures
Questions 200, 201, 1A
County commissioner expansion
› Douglas County ballot measures will decide whether to add more commissioners — and how to elect them
Issue 5A
Douglas County schools mill levy override
› Douglas County schools’ Ballot Issue 5A asks voters to approve $54 million mill levy override
Jefferson County ballot measures
Issues 5A, 5B
Jeffco schools mill levy overrides
› Jeffco Ballot issues 5A and 5B ask voters to approve $133 million in mill levy overrides for schools
Editorials
Editorials represent the opinion of The Denver Post editorial board, which is separate from the paper’s news operation.
Ballot measures
Amendment 81
› Amendment 81 goes way too far, requiring police to start investigating citizenship
Amendment 82
› Why put natural gas in the Constitution over and above all the other energy sources we rely on?
Amendment 83
› Vote no on Amendment 83 to keep hunting and fishing well-regulated
Denver Issue 4A
› Why we don’t support Denver Public Schools’ proposed property tax increase
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