In Colorado, signatures were submitted to the secretary of state's office on July 20, 2026, for a ballot initiative related to the readability of ballot measure questions.
The initiative — known as Initiative 234 — would require ballot questions to be in plain language, at no more than an eighth-grade reading level. It would also prohibit the enforcement of any state law that conflicts with this requirement by mandating language before, after, or within a ballot title that is not in plain language or exceeds an eighth-grade reading level.
As of 2026, Colorado state law requires ballot titles to include fiscal impact summaries for initiatives that affect income taxes, specifying how the change would affect different income brackets. This change was implemented following Proposition GG in 2022, when 71.9% of voters approved the measure.
Additionally, the Colorado General Assembly passed two laws related to ballot title requirements: HB21-1321 in 2021 and HB26-1320 in 2026. HB21-132 requires ballot titles to include language for measures that increase or decrease taxes to reflect how the changes would affect state and local budgets. HB26-1320 requires ballot titles to use accessible language and include specific language for reducing or increasing tax revenue through tax changes.
Initiative 234 would not necessarily conflict with existing ballot title requirements, such as those established by Proposition GG, HB21-1321, and HB26-1320, provided that the required information could be presented in plain language at no higher than an eighth-grade reading level. To the extent that a statutory requirement interfered with those standards, Initiative 234 could make that requirement unenforceable.
The Bell Policy Center presented arguments in favor of and against Initiative 234:
- For Initiative 234: "Colorado voters are asked to make decisions on complex policies in every election. By ensuring that the questions on the ballot are written in plain language, it will ensure that voters understand the policy on which they are voting."
- Against Initiative 234: "This initiative is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While it may seem to be about ensuring ballot questions are easily understood, it will actually make voters less informed by stripping out important provisions that alert voters to the impacts of tax changes on their pocketbooks and state and local budgets."
Initiative 234 was filed on Feb. 20, 2026, as an initiated constitutional amendment, and is supported by Advance Colorado, an organization that describes its mission as "[pushing] back on the progressive policies that have put our state on the wrong track."
In previous years, Advance Colorado filed and gathered signatures for measures in policy areas such as taxes, law enforcement, and education. In 2024, the organization filed and gathered signatures for three ballot measures related to a right to school choice, parole eligibility for persons convicted of certain violent crimes, and funding for law enforcement training and benefits for the families of deceased first responders, with two of these measures being approved and one being rejected by voters.
For the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot, Advance Colorado filed and gathered signatures for four additional measures: Initiative 85, Initiative 95, Initiative 177, and Initiative 232. Initiatives 85 and 95 have been certified for the ballot. Signatures for Initiative 177 and Initiative 232 were submitted for review on June 24, 2026, and July 15, 2026, respectively.
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