Vote on the Ballot Measures!

This year Boulder voters have a particularly long ballot – 22 ballot measures, plus all the even-year midterm candidates that are normally on the ballot. The icing on the cake is Boulder Question 2E which asks voters if they want to move their city candidate contests to the even-year ballot.

Many of the ballot measures are questions involving dedicated taxes. Dedicated taxes are often designed for maximum appeal – Let’s support “rainbows and puppies.” Meanwhile the rest of the government functions are funded with non-dedicated taxes. Rather than weigh in on whether or not you should vote for a tax or associated debt question, each such question will have the word TAX, and this site will not give guidance on which taxes you should support and oppose but will, in some cases, give you some things to consider.

Two of the measures with “tax” in the name – Prop GG and Question 2C – would not actually affect your tax rate so this site does weigh in on those measures. Yes, 2C has a misleading name. It’s not the only misleading name in this election season.

Convenience for consumers and voters is an interesting theme on the ballot this year, seen in Props 125 and 126 and Question 2E and arguably in Props FF and GG.

Boulder voters have 11 state measure, 3 county measures, 1 school district measure, 1 Boulder Library District measure, and 6 city measures. Hold onto your hat!

About half the state measures, the library district measure and one of the city measures were put on the ballot by collecting signatures. Calling the state measures “citizen” initiatives is a stretch since big money, especially in even years, is needed to pay signature gatherers. The city’s citizen “initiative,” Ballot Question 2F, is actually a citizen referendum on city council’s 2021 decision to annex the CU South property. A yes vote is in favor of repealing the annexation agreement, meaning you do NOT like the annexation agreement.

Each of the 22 ballot measures has its own post if you’d like more information or if you would like to make a comment on a specific ballot measure. Please limit comments on this introductory post to general comments about the process or the election.

In general, the further down the ballot you go, the more influence you have! Please research the issues and candidates and vote the entire ballot. Encourage your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and anyone else eligible to vote to do likewise.

At the bottom of this blog entry are other ballot measure websites as well as a link to the Boulder County Clerk’s website. The links will be updated as more information becomes available.


Please make a plan for getting your ballot if you have moved. Remember that in Colorado you can register and vote as late as Election Day, Tuesday, November 8th. Most people vote in one of 3 ways:
1) In person at one of your county’s Voter Service and Polling Centers
2) Mail your ballot with appropriate postage and allowing for adequate delivery time
3) Drop off your ballot at any Colorado polling place or ballot drop box, even outside of your county Since ballots will get mailed out beginning October 17, check with your county clerk to figure out the best way to get your ballot if you are registering or updating your address now.

In 2020 17-year-olds who turned 18 by the general election could vote in the primary, but that year Colorado voters also passed Amendment 76 which took effect this year and disenfranchised almost-18-year-olds in this year’s primary.


VOCABULARY

Amendment = Constitutional change
All of this year’s amendments require 55% approval for passage.

Proposition = Statutory change
Propositions can be modified later by the Colorado General Assembly.


State Initiatives - denoted by numbers
Electors signed petitions to put these on the ballot.

State Referenda - denoted by letters
The General Assembly put these on the ballot.


Ballot Issues = Tax or debt measures
Ballot Questions = Others


2022 BALLOT MEASURES

STATE OF COLORADO

Amendment D
New 23rd Judicial District (JD) Judges
Require the governor to assign some 18th JD judges to the new 23rd JD
leaning yes/leaning for

Amendment E
Extend Homestead Exemption to Gold Star Spouses
Qualifies the surviving spouse of a US armed forces service member who dies in the line of duty the same property tax exemption given to qualifying senior citizens and disabled veterans
TAX

Amendment F
Charitable Gaming Constitutional Amendment
Allow charitable gaming activities to pay employees and reduces waiting period before obtaining a charitable gaming license
leaning yes/leaning for

Proposition FF
Free Meals for All Public School Students
Provide free breakfast and lunch to all public school students and pay for it with an increased income tax on households with an adjusted annual gross income of more than $300,000
TAX

Proposition GG
Add Tax Information Table to Petitions and Ballots
For citizen-initiated measures that change the income tax rate, require a tax information table on the petition and ballot
YES/FOR

Proposition 121
State Income Tax Rate Reduction
Reduce the state income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.40%
TAX

Proposition 122
Decriminalize Some Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances
Loosen restrictions on use of psychedelic mushrooms
leaning no/leaning against

Proposition 123
Dedicate Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs
Set aside and de-Bruce some income tax revenue for affordable housing
Yes/For

Proposition 124
Increase Allowable Liquor Store Locations
Allow retail liquor stores to open more locations than currently allowed
No/Against

Proposition 125
Allow Grocery and Convenience Stores to Sell Wine
Convert beer retail licenses to beer and wine retail licenses beginning March 2023
leaning yes/leaning for

Proposition 126
Third-Party Delivery of Alcohol Beverages
Allow alcohol delivery by a third-party alcohol delivery service directly to customers
No/Against


COUNTY OF BOULDER

County of Boulder Issue 1A
Wildfire Mitigation 0.1% Sales Tax
Impose a 0.1% sales tax in perpetuity to pay for wildfire mitigation
TAX

County of Boulder Issue 1B
Emergency Services 0.1% Sales Tax
Impose a 0.1% sales tax for 5 years then 0.05% in perpetuity to pay for emergency services
TAX

County of Boulder Issue 1C
Transportation 0.1% Sales Tax Extension
Extend a 0.1% sales tax in perpetuity to pay for transportation needs
TAX


CITY OF BOULDER

City of Boulder Issue 2A
New $6.5M Annual Climate Tax and Extend CAP Tax and Utility Occupation Tax
Create a Climate Tax to expire at the end of 2040 composed of a new annual $6.5M tax adjusted annually for inflation and an extension of the otherwise expiring revenue from the CAP Tax and UOT
TAX

City of Boulder Issue 2B
Authorize Debt to be Repaid from the Climate Tax
If 2A also passes, allow city to borrow against future Climate Tax revenue
(TAX) DEBT

City of Boulder Question 2C
Repeal City Charter’s Library Provisions
If Library District Issue 6C also passes, repeal charter’s provisions about the city library
For the measure

City of Boulder Question 2D
Prohibit a Person from Running for Both Council and Mayor
Change the city charter to prohibit a person from running for council and mayor
Against the measure

City of Boulder Question 2E
Move Municipal Candidate Elections to Even Years
Transition from odd-year council and mayor elections in 2023 and 2025 to even-year elections in 2026
AGAINST THE MEASURE

City of Boulder Question 2F
Repeal Annexation of CU South
Repeal City Council’s CU South annexation agreement as detailed in Ordinance 8483
For the measure


BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-2

BVSD Issue 5A
$350M Bond for Facility Construction and Maintenance
Increase property taxes to replace New Vista HS, build a new school in Erie, increase career and technical ed offerings and pay for other facility needs
TAX


BOULDER PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT

Boulder Public Library District Issue 6C
Library District Funded by 3.5 Mill Property Tax
Impose a 3.5 mill property tax to realize a Boulder (and adjacent areas) Public Library District
TAX


ELECTION ADMINISTRATION SITES

Colorado Secretary of State – Go Vote Colorado page
http://govotecolorado.gov

Boulder County Clerk and Recorder
303 413 7740
https://www.bouldercounty.org/elections/
Look up your voter registration, see a sample ballot, check your ballot status, and find the county Voter Service and Polling Center locations.


GOVERNMENT SITES

Blue Book / Folleto Informativo (Colorado Legislative Council)
https://leg.colorado.gov/content/initiatives/initiatives-blue-book-overview/ballot-information-booklet-blue-book
The real name of the Blue Book is the 2022 State Ballot Information Booklet – available in English and Spanish.
State Ballot Analysis - https://leg.colorado.gov/BallotAnalysis

County of Boulder
https://bouldercounty.gov/government/county-ballot-issues/

City of Boulder
https://bouldercolorado.gov/elections


MEDIA SITES

Boulder Beat Voter Guide
https://boulderbeat.news/election-2022-voter-guide/

Boulder Weekly Election Guide
https://www.boulderweekly.com/special-editions/vote-guide/vote-guide-2022/

Daily Camera Endorsements and Election Page
https://www.dailycamera.com/tag/2022-election/

Colorado Politics Elections Page
https://www.coloradopolitics.com/elections/2022/

Colorado Public Radio 2022 Elections
https://www.cpr.org/category/politics/2022-elections/

Colorado Sun Voter Guide
https://coloradosun.com/colorado-voter-guide-2022-election/

5280 Magazine Ballot Measures Guide
https://www.5280.com/colorado-2022-ballot-measures-guide/

Complete Colorado
https://pagetwo.completecolorado.com/category/2022-election/


INFORMATION-ONLY SITES

League of Women Voters – also listed under Advocacy Sites
vote411.org/
See your ballot, learn about the issues and the candidates

Ballotpedia
https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_2022_ballot_measures
Entries for individual ballot measures list supporters and opponents, campaign finance information and more

Common Sense Institute – State and Denver ballot measures
https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/2022-ballot-guide/


ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION SITES
These sites take positions on all or most of the measures.

League of Women Voters of Boulder County Elections 2022 (English and Spanish)
https://lwvbc.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=629866&module_id=535587

Boulder Chamber of Commerce – Eye on the Ballot
https://boulderchamber.com/advocacy/election-resources/

Bell Policy Center
https://www.bellpolicy.org/2022/10/05/2022ballotguide/


POLITICAL PARTY SITES

Boulder County Democratic Party Ballot Measures Guide
https://bcdp.co/2022-Initiatives

Independence Institute – Libertarian Think Tank
https://i2i.org/guide-2022/


CITIZEN SITES

Richard Valenty
https://richardvalenty.com/city-of-boulder-ballot-measures-in-2022/

Eric Budd
https://bouldercoloradovoterguide.com/