Dissecting Colorado's Ballot Measure Process

About this episode

The episode discusses Colorado's ballot measure process and its implications for state policy and local governance.

With the recent off-year election in the rear view, eyes are now turning to the 2026 cycle. And in Colorado, that means sorting citizen-initiated measures that make the ballot next year. Colorado’s ballot measure process is one of the most direct and impactful tools for shaping state policy—and also one of the most complex. Join Brownstein’s David Meschke and Sarah Mercer as they walk through the constitutional and statutory framework and timeline governing statewide citizen initiatives and offer insights into recent trends, legal challenges and strategic considerations for drafting, advocating for or opposing ballot questions. They also cover key differences and considerations for county and municipal ballot measures, which play an increasingly important role in local governance.

People in this episode

Hosts: David Meschke, Sarah Mercer

Topics covered

• ballot measures
• Colorado politics
• citizen initiatives
• state policy
• legal challenges
• local governance

Keywords

• ballot measure process
• Colorado
• citizen initiatives
• state policy
• legal challenges
• local governance

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Colorado

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