Voters in Colorado will decide on a ballot measure that would establish new sentencing requirements for individuals convicted of human trafficking a child on Nov. 3, 2026.
Initiative 108
The measure — known as Initiative 108 — would amend sections of the Colorado Revised Statutes to require life in prison, without the possibility of parole or release, for individuals convicted of human trafficking a child for sexual servitude. Initiative 108 would change the offense from a class 2 felony to a class 1 felony. As of 2026, the sentence for a class 2 felony in Colorado was eight to 24 years in prison, while a class 1 felony was punishable by life imprisonment.
As of 2026, the crime of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude was defined as:
- selling or otherwise knowingly facilitating the commercial sexual activity involving a person under 18; or
- knowingly advertising, offering, or selling travel services that facilitate commercial sexual activity involving a person under the age of 18.
Initiative 108 would add a third element to this definition: knowingly exchanging anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a person under the age of 18.
The Colorado secretary of state's office certified Initiative 108 for the ballot on March 5, 2026 — just over three weeks after reviewing the signatures that Protect Kids Colorado, an organization that describes its mission as "[protecting] kids from becoming victims of a dangerous and false ideology," had gathered and submitted on Feb. 17, 2026. In their announcement, the secretary of state's office affirmed that the measure had met the required valid signature threshold of at least 124,238, stating that the "Elections Division projected the number of valid signatures to be greater than 110 percent of the total number of signatures required for placement on the ballot."
Erin Lee, a member of the Board of Directors for Protect Kids Colorado, stated that the signature drive was "an incredible effort gathering over a half-million signatures, nearly all from volunteers, is a truly historic event and clearly shows how much Coloradans reject policies that put ideology ahead of children's well-being." A group opposing Initiative 108, Families Not Politics, said that the measure is "a Trojan horse using the language of child protection to advance a broader political agenda rather than reflect the best practices for supporting survivors."
Other ballot measures supported by Protect Kids Colorado
Protect Kids Colorado also submitted signatures for two other measures — Initiatives 109 and 110 — which are related to sex requirements for school sports teams and surgeries for transgender minors, respectively.
Initiative 109 would require school- and association-sponsored athletic teams to be classified in one of three categories based on biological sex: (1) males/men/boys, (2) females/women/girls, or (3) coeducational or mixed. Teams designated for females, women, or girls would not be open to male students or participants. Teams designated for males, men, or boys would not be open to female students or participants unless no corresponding female team is offered for that sport. The ballot initiative would define females as "person[s] whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of ova," and males as "person[s] whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of sperm."
Initiative 110 would prohibit healthcare professionals from performing surgeries on minors "for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics," as well as prohibit state and federal funds, Medicaid reimbursements, or insurance coverage from being used to pay for such surgeries. The phrase altering biological sex characteristics would be defined as "treatment in response to a minor's perception of sex or gender" and would exclude treatment for medically verifiable disorders of sex development or acquired physical or chemical abnormalities and male circumcision.
Protect Kids Colorado submitted signatures for both ballot initiatives on Feb. 20, 2026. The review deadline for the Colorado secretary of state to determine the validity of the signatures is March 20, 2026.
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