Presidential Candidates:
Hillary Clinton (w/ VP Tim Kaine): Hillary Rodham Clinton is the Democratic Party’s nominee for president and has served as a senator for New York and the U.S. secretary of state after her tenure as first lady to former President Bill Clinton.
Donald Trump (w/ VP Mike Pence): Donald Trump is the Republican Party’s nominee for president and is a real-estate businessman, political figure, television producer and former host of the “Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Amendment T: No exception to involuntary servitude prohibition
An amendment to the constitution of the state of Colorado to remove the underlined phrase concerning involuntary servitude when duly convicted of a crime.
“There shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”
Amendment supporters argue that 25 other states do not have this type of wording and the original document was written during an unequal time in America and removing the phrase would reflect increased freedom for all people. Opponents to the amendment argue that removing the phrasing could lead to legal uncertainty involving prisoner’s work practices in the state.
Amendment U: Exempt certain possessory interests from property taxes
An amendment to the Colorado constitution that would eliminate property taxes for individuals or businesses who use government-owned property for a private benefit worth $6,000 or less.
Supporters argue that this amendment would reduce the burden on administrators of collecting taxes that, in many cases, end up costing more to do so than the taxes themselves. Opponents to the amendment believe this is an unfair tax break for those who use government property for their personal use, and puts an unfair burden on other taxpayers.
Amendment 69: Statewide health care system
A highly-contested amendment that would establish ColoradoCare, as a statewide system to finance health care services for Colorado residents. The amendment would come with new taxes on income and would redirect current state funding for health care towards the proposed system.
This amendment has, in many ways, modeled itself after the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, and has been met with the same arguments seen in 2010. Supporters for the reform argue healthcare is meant for all Coloradans, as this amendment would try to provide by prohibiting deductibles and may reduce financial barriers. By creating a centralized system of health care records, proponents believe a coordination of care and efficiency is the projected result. Opponents to the amendment believe the Colorado economy could not face the burden of the new taxes, which would increase the state government’s spending by twice its current amount. Amendment 69 also does not guarantee that ColoradoCare would improve patient care or reduce costs as the measure does not specify crucial details.
Amendment 70: State minimum wage
An amendment that would increase Colorado’s minimum wage from $8.31 per hour to $9.30 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2017. The measure would also increase the minimum wage by $0.90 every year until 2020.
The amendment was submitted by supporters because they believe Colorado’s current minimum wage is too low to provide a basic standard of living. Currently, full-time minimum wage workers make $17,285 annually while the cost of living has risen steeply since the last minimum wage rise in 2007. Opponents to the amendment believe the minimum wage increase could have a negative effect on the employees it is meant to help as businesses may lay off employees, reduce their hours or limit their benefits.
Amendment 71: Requirements for constitutional amendments
This amendment would make it more difficult to submit an amendment to Colorado’s constitution, by requiring a citizen-provided initiative receive at least two percent of registered electors in each senate district. It would also require that a bill have at least 55 percent of the votes cast, instead of just the majority.
Proponents of the amendment believe the Colorado constitution is too important of a document to be easy enough to change, and citizens across the state in each senate district should have a say on an issue. Opponents argue this measure would limit the electorate’s voice in important matters, decisions should be left to the people of Colorado and requiring senate district votes would make getting bills on the ballot more expensive and less likely.
Amendment 72: Increase cigarette and tobacco taxes
This amendment would increase the state tax on a pack of cigarettes from $0.84 to $2.59, increase taxes to 62 percent of the price on other tobacco products and would distribute the taxes to medical research, tobacco-use prevention, doctors and clinics in low-income areas and veterans’ services.
Those who support the amendment believe giving the tax revenue to health services would alleviate the state health care burden. They also cite higher prices have been shown to deter smoking tobacco products, of which are known for increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease. Opponents to the amendment cite that increasing these taxes would affect low-income tobacco users the most, and the households that need it most. This amendment would also lock the Colorado constitution into funding these programs indefinitely, even if they are not in need.
Proposition 106: Access to medical aid-in-dying medication
A proposal to amend the Colorado statutes to allow terminally-ill individuals, with a prognosis of six months or less to live, to request medical professionals to allow them to self-administer medication to voluntarily end their lives. This would take two separate physicians to make the terminal diagnosis for them to gain access to the medication. The proposal would authorize physicians to prescribe the medication under certain circumstances and make it illegal to tamper with a person’s request for the medication and also make it illegal to coerce a terminally-ill person to request the medication.
Proponents of the proposal say that it would expand the options of terminally ill individuals to peacefully end their lives in the environment and manner they choose. They also believe this measure would give the individuals an option that is safe-guarded and with the approval of two physicians. Opponents of the proposal believe that offering this option would send the message to others that ending their lives is an acceptable act instead of offering pain relief services to end their lives in a natural manner. They also believe there is too much opportunity for family members to coerce the individual to end their lives, and asking a physician to determine when someone is ready for death is a task too great.
Proposition 107: Presidential primary elections
A proposal to amend the Colorado statutes to establish a presidential primary election in Colorado that allows participation by unaffiliated voters.
Those who support the proposition believe that a presidential primary serves Colorado voters better than the current caucus system due to its logistical issues. They also believe all Colorado residents deserve to nominate candidates even if they are not affiliated with the party. Opponents believe this would likely result in some unaffiliated votes not being counted, if they vote in both parties’ primaries, the votes would be disqualified. The proposal would also cost taxpayers as it would increase state spending by $5 million every four years.
Proposition 108: Unaffiliated voter participation in primary elections
A proposal to amend Colorado statutes to change the primary election process in the state to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a non-presidential primary election of a single political party and allow political parties to opt out of holding a primary election and instead choose to nominate candidates by assembly or convention.
Proponents of the measure, like proposition 107, believe that all Colorado taxpayers should be given the opportunity to vote publicly in financed primary elections. Unaffiliated voters make up more than one-third of all registered voters in the state, so these voters could give Coloradans better, more accurate representation.
Opponents of the measure argue that since it uses a combined ballot system, seven percent of their votes could end up not getting counted. They also argue that since political parties are membership organizations they should have the right to choose their own candidates without influence from voters who do not affiliate themselves with the party.
