Amendment 85: Plain Language Ballot Titles
Statewide — all of Colorado
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Placed on the ballot by citizen initiative. The Blue Book lists 14 statewide measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot.[1][2]
The question on the ballot
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?[1]
Requires that all ballot titles be in plain language at no more than an eighth-grade reading level, and prohibits laws that require specific language in citizen-initiative ballot titles where that language interferes with the plain-language requirement (legislatively referred titles are not subject to this prohibition). The Blue Book notes the measure does not define plain language or say who decides whether a title meets the standard, and that existing laws requiring added tax-related language in initiative titles could be affected. Passes with 55 percent of the vote. Fiscal impact: minimal added workload for the Title Board.[1]
A YES vote means
Requires that ballot titles be written in plain language, defined as an eighth-grade reading level, and prohibits any law from interfering with this requirement.
A NO vote means
Maintains current law, which requires plain language for ballot titles but does not specify a particular grade-level reading standard.
The law today
State law requires the Title Board to write ballot titles that are brief, help voters understand the effect of a yes or no vote, and are in plain language understandable by the widest possible audience, avoiding legal or technical terminology when possible. For legislatively referred measures the legislature writes the title. Current laws also require specific added language in initiative titles, for example for measures that raise or lower state taxes (Blue Book).[1]
Official fiscal estimate
Per the Blue Book, the measure may minimally increase workload for the Title Board, which would update its plain-language standards and apply them when setting titles for citizen initiatives.[1]
Arguments made for
- Blue Book argument for: "Providing a constitutional standard will help in crafting simple titles that voters may better understand when considering their vote…"[1]
- Blue Book argument for: "This measure ensures that no future legislature may add laws or change existing laws to create complicated or confusing initiative ballot titles."[1]
Arguments made against
- Blue Book argument against: "This measure is unnecessary as state law already provides ample guidance for the preparation of ballot titles in plain language."[1]
- Blue Book argument against: "This measure puts vague and undefined language in the constitution, which could prevent the creation of laws to help voters better understand the effects of ballot measures."[1]
On record in support
- Advance Colorado, a political nonprofit: proposed the amendment.[5]
- Brighter Colorado: registered issue committee in favor.[3]
- Amber McReynolds (former Denver elections official, unaffiliated), the advocacy arm of Courageous Colorado, and the African Leadership Group: named by The Colorado Sun as backers.[5]
Campaign money
Brighter Colorado, which supports Amendment 85 and other Advance Colorado proposals, had raised $306,625 as of mid-September; Vote Common Sense, which opposes a range of measures including this one, had raised about $495,000 through mid-September (The Colorado Sun, Oct. 3, 2026). Brighter Colorado reached $2.6 million through Sept. 30 across its positions on multiple measures (Denver Gazette, Oct. 14). Neither figure is specific to Amendment 85.[5][4]
Research notes & limits
Source: the official 2026 Blue Book (Legislative Council Staff, nonpartisan), which gives the ballot title, the 'what your vote means' text, an analysis with arguments for and against, and the fiscal impact. Its 'for' and 'against' arguments are the staff's own summaries of the main arguments on each side, not statements from named campaigns; the booklet points to the Secretary of State's page for supporting and opposing organizations, which was not reviewed here. Ballotpedia is cited only for the certified-measure count. Ballotpedia notes a separate road-funding initiative was certified but withdrawn after its proponents reached an agreement with the state, so it is not on the ballot.
Sources · 5
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book) · Colorado Legislative Council Staff · 2026-09-10 Official record
- 2.Colorado 2026 ballot measures · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-18 Reference
- 3.Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 Ballot: information and contacts (registered issue committees) · Colorado Secretary of State Official record
- 4.Voter ID, tax measures drive millions in Colorado spending · Denver Gazette · 2026-10-14 News report
- 5.Amendment 85 explained: Plain language ballot measures in Colorado · The Colorado Sun · 2026-10-03 News report