The Monument Independent is opening a reader ballot on the fifteen statewide and regional measures Tri-Lakes voters will decide on November 3. It is a straw poll, not a survey: anyone can answer, and the people who answer choose themselves. It runs for two weeks, and a second round will follow closer to the election to see whether anything has moved.
Ballots go out to active voters on October 5. The state’s ballot information booklet — the Blue Book — is due around the same time: the constitution requires it reach active registered voters at least thirty days before the election. What voters make of all of it is invisible to everyone until the returns come in on November 3.
So this is an attempt to make a little of it visible early. Below is every statewide and regional measure on the Tri-Lakes ballot, with the certified language for each. Answer the ones you have a view on. Skip the rest — nothing is required, and each answer is recorded on its own the moment you give it. You will see how other readers have answered a measure only after you have answered it yourself.
Amendment 81 · Law Enforcement Reporting Requirements to Federal Authorities Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution requiring law enforcement to notify the department of homeland security when a person is charged with either a violent crime or any crime if the person has a prior felony conviction if law enforcement cannot determine that the person is lawfully present in the United States?
Amendment 82 · Right to Natural Gas Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution creating new law granting the right for consumers to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating in homes or businesses and for distributors and utilities to sell natural gas to consumers?
Amendment 83 · Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution creating a constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest fish and wildlife by traditional methods, including all species of fish and wildlife managed by the state except non-game species, endangered species, or any species that is illegal to hunt under federal law, and, in connection therewith, establishing hunting and fishing as the preferred means of managing fish and wildlife populations; and preserving the right of the state to regulate hunting, fishing, and wildlife management if necessary for sound scientific wildlife conservation and management, public safety, or to preserve the future of hunting and fishing opportunities for all species?
Amendment 84 · Mail Ballot Voter Identification Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution requiring a voter to sign and include the last four digits of their social security number or their Colorado driver’s license or identification card number on the outside of their mail ballot for any federal or state election, and, in connection therewith, allowing the voter to correct missing or incorrect information, including with alternative forms of identification; and prohibiting a county clerk and recorder from counting the mail ballot unless the problem is fixed?
Amendment 85 · Plain Language Ballot Questions Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning ballot question language, and, in connection therewith, requiring all state and local ballot questions to be written in plain language and at no more than an 8th grade reading level and prohibiting a state statute from requiring language that conflicts with these requirements in ballot questions for citizen-initiated measures?
Amendment 86 · Congressional Redistricting — limits mid-decade changes to congressional maps Constitutional amendment
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Requires 55% approval because it adds language to the state constitution.
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning congressional redistricting, and, in connection therewith, reenacting the current process for congressional redistricting in the Colorado Constitution and prohibiting modifications to a final map unless at least three public meetings are held, the modifications do not have the effect of dividing communities of interest or purposefully favoring one political party, and are approved by the congressional redistricting commission and the Colorado Supreme Court?
Amendment 87 · Graduated Income Tax Constitutional amendment
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SHALL STATE TAXES BE INCREASED $2.7 BILLION ANNUALLY, IN ORDER TO INCREASE OR IMPROVE LEVELS OF PUBLIC SERVICES, INCLUDING K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND EARLY CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION SERVICES, BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND A CHANGE TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES REPEALING EXISTING LAW AND CREATING NEW LAW TO REPLACE THE UNIFORM STATE INCOME TAX RATE WITH A GRADUATED INCOME TAX STRUCTURE, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, AMENDING THE TAXPAYER’S BILL OF RIGHTS TO ELIMINATE THE CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR ALL TAXABLE NET INCOME TO BE TAXED AT ONE RATE WITH NO ADDED TAX ON INCOME; ESTABLISHING VARIOUS INCOME TAX RATES BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TAXABLE INCOME EARNED BY INDIVIDUALS, ESTATES, TRUSTS, AND CORPORATIONS, WHILE MAINTAINING THE CURRENT 4.4% TAX ON INCOME FROM THE SALE OF A PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE, WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE ESTIMATED CHANGE IN INCOME TAXES OWED BY INDIVIDUALS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE; AND AUTHORIZING THE STATE TO RETAIN AND SPEND ANY INCREASED REVENUE FROM THE NEW TAX STRUCTURE, AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE, TO SUPPLEMENT CURRENT LEVELS OF FUNDING FOR K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND EARLY CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS?
Change in Income Taxes Owed by Income Category
| Income Categories | Current Average Income Tax Owed | Proposed Average Income Tax Owed | Proposed Change in Average Income Tax Owed if Passed + or - |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 or less | $59 | $50 | -$9 |
| $25,001 - $50,000 | $751 | $632 | -$119 |
| $50,001 - $100,000 | $1,877 | $1,666 | -$210 |
| $100,001 - $200,000 | $4,126 | $3,828 | -$298 |
| $200,001 - $500,000 | $9,344 | $9,019 | -$325 |
| $500,001 - $1,000,000 | $19,288 | $18,963 | -$325 |
| $1,000,001 - $2,000,000 | $29,432 | $34,196 | +$4,764 |
| $2,000,001 - $5,000,000 | $41,196 | $55,110 | +$13,914 |
| Income categories use adjusted gross income reported to the federal Internal Revenue Service. |
Proposition NN · State Public K-12 Education Funding — raises the state spending limit to fund schools Referred by the legislature
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Passes with a majority vote.
Referred to the voters by state legislature.
Shall state investment in K-12 public education increase two percent each year for the next ten years, with investments used to increase teacher pay, improve teacher retention, lower class sizes, and increase access to career and technical courses, without raising taxes but instead funded by raising the annual limit on state fiscal year spending only by the amount spent on public K-12 education as a voter-approved revenue change, and requiring an annual publicly released, independent audit to show how the new investments are spent?
Proposition 132 · Penalties for Fentanyl Crimes Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning criminal penalties for fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids, and, in connection therewith, increasing the felony classifications of drug-related crimes for distribution, manufacturing, dispensing, sale, or possession of fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids; creating mandated treatment for certain drug felony violations based on possession amount; and changing sentencing provisions to narrow or eliminate exemptions for crimes related to fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids and drug-related deaths?
Proposition 133 · Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes modifying existing law concerning human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude, and, in connection therewith, creating new law expanding human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to include knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor and increasing the penalty to be life in prison without parole or release?
Proposition 134 · Male and Female Participation in School Sports Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes creating new law restricting participation in all K-12 and collegiate school sports based on the participant’s sex as determined by certain aspects of their biological reproductive system, and, in connection therewith, requiring a school, institution of higher education, or athletic association to designate each school or intramural athletic team or sport as male, female, or coeducational; only allowing participants to compete on the team or sport of their designated sex or to compete on a coeducational team; creating an exception to allow a female to participate on a male-designated team or sport if there is no female team available; prohibiting a government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association from entertaining a complaint, opening an investigation, or taking other adverse action against a school for maintaining separate teams or sports for females; and providing the commissioner of education with the authority to enforce the proposed initiative for K-12 school districts?
Proposition 135 · Prohibit Certain Surgeries for Minors Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes modifying existing law by prohibiting surgery on a minor for the purpose of altering the minor’s biological sex characteristics, and, in connection therewith, prohibiting any health-care professional or other person from knowingly performing, prescribing, administering, or providing any surgery to a minor for the purpose of altering the minor’s biological sex characteristics and prohibiting the use of state or federal funds, Medicaid reimbursement, or insurance coverage to pay for this type of surgery?
Proposition 136 · Income Tax Rate Cap Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes capping the state income tax rate at 4.4% of federal taxable income for individuals and corporations?
Proposition 137 · Designate Sporting Goods Sales Tax Revenue for Conservation Statutory measure
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Passes with a majority vote.
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes creating new law to increase water and land conservation funding without raising taxes, and, in connection therewith, through a voter-approved revenue change, allowing the state to keep and spend a portion of revenue from the state sales tax on sporting goods and equipment to conserve and protect Colorado’s water, land, and forests, prevent wildfires, support outdoor recreation training and activities, and reduce revenue spent on these conservation purposes if necessary to preserve funding for certain tax credits?
Ballot Issue 7A · Front Range Passenger Rail District Referred by the rail district
Read the ballot language
Passes with a majority vote.
Referred to the voters by the Front Range Passenger Rail district board
Appearing on ballots in the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Pueblo, and Weld
SHALL FRONT RANGE PASSENGER RAIL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED $295,000,000 ANNUALLY AND BY WHATEVER AMOUNTS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, AND SHALL FRONT RANGE PASSENGER RAIL DISTRICT DEBT BE INCREASED $580,000,000, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF $785,000,000;
TO CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN COLORADO CONNECTOR (COCO) PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE ON COLORADO’S FRONT RANGE AND CONNECT COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING PUEBLO, COLORADO SPRINGS, STERLING RANCH, LITTLETON, DENVER, WESTMINSTER, BROOMFIELD, LOUISVILLE, BOULDER, LONGMONT, LOVELAND, AND FORT COLLINS; IN ORDER TO:
- REMOVE VEHICLES FROM HIGHWAYS AND INCREASE TRAVEL CAPACITY;
- CONNECT TRAVELERS TO EMPLOYMENT CENTERS, COLLEGES, SPORTS ARENAS, AND ENTERTAINMENT HUBS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE; AND
- INVEST IN STATION AREA IMPROVEMENTS AND LOCAL CONNECTIONS TO RAIL STATIONS;
BY ESTABLISHING A 0.333% SALES AND USE TAX (EQUAL TO ONE THIRD OF A PENNY ON A $1 PURCHASE), WITH EXEMPTIONS PROVIDED UNDER COLORADO LAW, INCLUDING THOSE FOR GASOLINE, FOOD, RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY AND GAS, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES;
AND TO RETAIN ALL SUCH REVENUES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ANY INVESTMENT INCOME ON REVENUES AND DEBT PROCEEDS, AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE UNDER SECTION 20 OF ARTICLE X OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION;
AND REQUIRING THAT ALL SUCH DEDICATED REVENUES BE REVIEWED ANNUALLY BY AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR AND A ROTATING GROUP OF CITIZEN TAXPAYERS WHO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT?
Reader polls are unscientific: anyone can answer and respondents choose themselves. The Monument Independent does not treat the result as a measure of local opinion.
The full voter guide, with key dates, drop-box locations and the local contests, remains at our elections page. That page is the reference; this one is the conversation.
What is not here, and why
Every local contest is deliberately left out of this round. Monument’s mayoral race, its four council seats and its use tax will get their own straw poll rather than a line in a list of fifteen, and so will Palmer Lake’s mayoral and trustee races. The El Paso County commissioner race in District 1 goes with them, for a reason worth stating: under the redistricting plan the county adopted in 2023, the incorporated towns of Monument and Palmer Lake sit in District 3, whose seat is not on this ballot, while the unincorporated communities of Woodmoor, Gleneagle and Black Forest sit in District 1, which is. Many readers of this paper have no commissioner race at all this year, and a question most of the audience cannot answer belongs in a poll built around it.
What happens next
The poll closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 29. We will publish what readers said, plainly labelled for what it is, and then run the same fifteen questions again in late October. The interesting number will not be either result on its own. It will be the difference between them — and whether the measures that move are the ones that got argued about in between.
Sources & further reading
The Independent’s own coverage: The Changing Politics of Northern El Paso County — precinct returns showing the Republican presidential margin here narrowing from R+44 in 2016 to R+26 in 2024 · Monument Town Survey: What the Words Are Worth — the town’s own polling on how question wording moved its voters.
The ballot itself: Our November 3 elections guide, which carries the certified language for every measure and links to the Secretary of State’s initiative text.
Methodology
This poll runs on The Monument Independent’s own software. No third-party polling service is involved and no personal information is collected — no name, no email, no account.
Each measure accepts one answer per browser and per network address. The address is never stored in readable form: it is converted to a one-way cryptographic hash, scoped to that single question, so it cannot be traced back to a reader or used to follow anyone from one question to the next. One consequence is worth stating: readers sharing a single public address — a household, a school, a library — count once.
The sample is self-selected. It is composed of people who read this paper and chose to answer, which is not a random sample of the Tri-Lakes, is not weighted, and cannot be projected onto the electorate. A measure could carry this poll and lose the county by twenty points. Results will be reported as what the readers who answered said, and as nothing more than that.
The ballot language reproduced with each question is the certified text as published on our elections guide, drawn from the Colorado Secretary of State’s filings and, for Proposition NN and Ballot Issue 7A, from the referring legislation.
With the exceptions of safety, abuse, neglect, and exploitation issues I believe gender has no place on any ballot. Voters should not be put in the the position of legislating gender issues that do not respect the Constitution and are individually decided case by case.