Vote Common Sense - Vote Common Sense

FOLLOW THE MONEY.

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[Advance Colorado] mastered the ballot process with the help of a network of conservative — and largely secret — donors and like-minded groups.

Sept. 13, 2026 · Read the story

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…a black box that takes in mostly dark money and churns out ballot measures that serve conservative donors' economic interests.

READ THE FINE PRINT.

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Advance essentially distills its proposals into simple, even deceptive, language that masks the true impact.

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...packaging complex policy as simple yes-or-no questions to an electorate that may not grasp the full impact of the bargain.

Learn more about Advance Colorado

Nine measures. Written by hidden networks. A deceptive agenda buried in each proposal.

Follow the money, read the fine print, and the pattern is the same every time.

VOTE NO

Amendment 81 — Expanding ICE Presence and Denying Due Process Rights

What they want you to think:

This is about public safety.

Who wrote it (and bankrolled it): Advance Colorado (funded by allies of the Trump Administration)

What it REALLY does:

Amendment 81 strips due process rights from citizens and non-citizens alike and hands ICE more power over every Coloradan. Read the language closely: it requires any Coloradan to be reported to ICE on accusation alone — no conviction or evidence required. Even race and language could be used as a reason to report a Coloradan to ICE. We’ve already seen ICE’s abusive and discriminatory tactics. Why would we permanently lock that into our constitution?

VOTE NO

Amendment 82 — Locking Corporate Pollution in the Constitution

What they want you to think:

This is about consumer choice.

Who wrote it (and bankrolled it): Advance Colorado (funded by oil and gas interests).

What it REALLY does:

Buying, selling, and distributing gas is already legal in Colorado. Corporate polluters put Amendment 82 on the ballot to give themselves a constitutional right against regulation. It would let them overturn common-sense limits on toxic water pollution and fracking near homes and schools. And because it’s in the constitution, the damage would be nearly impossible to undo.

VOTE NO

Proposition 136 — Corporate Income Tax Rate Cap

What they want you to think:

This is about your taxes.

Who wrote it (and bankrolled it): Advance Colorado (funded by billionaires and corporate CEOs).

What it REALLY does:

Proposition 136 caps taxes for corporations. It’s right there in the language: “…capping the state income tax for… corporations.” And because Colorado currently has a flat tax, where someone making minimum wage pays the same tax rate as a giant corporation or a millionaire, it will prevent the ultra wealthy and giant corporations from paying their fair share and you from getting a tax cut. This is about the rich and corporations, not you.

These measures are just as deceptive:

VOTE NO

Amendment 84 – Requiring Social Security Numbers on Mail Ballots

What they want you to think:

This makes elections more secure.

Who wrote it: Allies of Advance Colorado.

What it REALLY does:

Amendment 84 creates a massive identity theft risk for every Coloradan who votes by mail. It requires voters to write the last four digits of their social security number or their full ID number on the OUTSIDE of their ballot envelope — right next to their name, address, and signature. Colorado already has an election security system in place that works. This measure is a solution in search of a problem and creates new identity theft risks for every voter.

VOTE NO

Amendment 85 – Prohibiting Information in Ballot Titles

What they want you to think:

This makes ballots easier for everyday voters to understand.

Who wrote it: Advance Colorado.

What it REALLY does:

This measure requires that all ballot titles be written at an 8th-grade reading level, without defining what that means. Colorado already has provisions that promote simple language while providing accuracy. The complexity of many issues and the title board process make it difficult to convey the impact of measures at this proposed 8th-grade level. It also could block future laws that explain ballot measure impacts to voters, like the current income tax table.

VOTE NO

Proposition 132 – Mandatory Prison Sentences for First-Time Offenses

What they want you to think:

This cracks down on dangerous drug trafficking.

Who wrote it: Advance Colorado.

What it REALLY does:

Proposition 132 makes possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony, even first-time cases. An 18-year-old sharing even one pill at a party would face the same mandatory 8-32-year prison sentence as the highest-level drug trafficker, even if they didn't know the drug contained fentanyl. It provides no new funding for treatment and would force the state to spend at least $400 million on new private prison construction.

VOTE NO

Proposition 133 – Redefining Human Trafficking to Include Abortion

What they want you to think:

This is a straightforward response to child sex trafficking.

Who wrote it: Protect Kids Colorado is the organization behind Propositions 133, 134 and 135, a package that also targets transgender students in sports and gender-affirming surgery for minors. The group describes its mission as fighting “gender ideology” and mobilizing parents, communities and churches around that agenda.

What it REALLY does:

Proposition 133 dramatically increases penalties for child sex trafficking, replacing a 16-to-48-year sentence with mandatory life in prison without parole. It also fails to protect trafficking survivors who were coerced or forced into participating in the exploitation of others, meaning victims themselves could face the harshest possible punishment. No victim service agency in Colorado has endorsed or supported Prop 133. The same organization behind Proposition 133 has used “trafficking” rhetoric around minors traveling for legally protected healthcare and is simultaneously pushing statewide restrictions on transgender youth. Proposition 133 does not mention abortion or gender-affirming care, but that broader agenda matters when considering how its backers are seeking to expand Colorado’s trafficking laws.

VOTE NO

Proposition 134 – Invasive Sex Checks to Play School Sports

What they want you to think:

This protects fairness in girls' sports.

Who wrote it: Protect Kids Colorado (an anti-LGBTQ organization backed by several well-known conservative organizations, including the Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family).

What it REALLY does:

Proposition 134 opens the door to invasive gender checks on children who want to play school sports from kindergarten through college. It hands the government the power to override the judgment of families, schools, and coaches with a rigid, statewide law — opening the door to invasive checks for any girl who just wants to play sports.

VOTE NO

Proposition 135 – Government Overriding Parental Healthcare Decisions

What they want you to think:

This protects kids from irreversible medical decisions.

Who wrote it: Protect Kids Colorado (an anti-LGBTQ organization backed by several well-known conservative organizations, including the Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family).

What it REALLY does:

Proposition 135 overrides parents and doctors on medical decisions for their own kids — banning some forms of gender-related surgery for anyone under 18 even when parents and doctors agree it's necessary — and risks doctors refusing unrelated care, like cancer treatment, out of legal fear.

Your VOTE NO list:

Amendment 81

Amendment 82

Amendment 84

Amendment 85

Proposition 132

Proposition 136

Proposition 133

Proposition 134

Proposition 135

VOTE BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3

Where to vote

Find locations to vote & important info at JustVoteColorado.org

Find where to vote

Questions about voting? Need help? Call or text the nonpartisan help line! 866-OUR-VOTE (English), 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español)

Just Vote Colorado Election Protection and 866-OUR-VOTE is a nonpartisan voter assistance project and is not affiliated with or promoting any party, candidate, or ballot issue.

Registration

To register to vote or check your registration visit GoVoteColorado.gov

About Vote Common Sense

Who We Are

Vote Common Sense is a coalition of organizations who advocate for people over corporate interests and dark money. We have come together to ensure that voters know the impact of these deceptive ballot measures and know that Advance Colorado is a dark money group funded by corporate and conservative interests. Our coalition includes organizations that fight for environmental protections, immigrant rights, tax fairness, abortion access, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ rights and voting rights in addition to educators and labor unions.

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