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Our call — vote YES
The measure
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment. Amendments 81–86 require 55% of the vote to pass. It requires certified peace officers, correctional officers and district attorney personnel to notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security within 72 hours of charging a person with a crime of violence, or charging a person who has a prior felony conviction, when the person's immigration status cannot be determined, per the Blue Book summary.
What YES does
A YES vote makes the notification mandatory in those cases. Current Colorado law limits state and local involvement in civil immigration enforcement; this amendment carves criminal charges — violent crimes and prior felons — out of that limit.
What NO does
A NO vote maintains current law, which allows cooperation with federal immigration authorities in some criminal matters but keeps the existing limits.
The math
The Blue Book's fiscal analysis, as reproduced in the guide cited below, identifies no change to any tax, TABOR refund, or revenue destination for this measure. No dollar fiscal estimate is published for it.
OUR CALL
Our call: YES.
When someone is charged with a violent crime or already carries a felony conviction and their lawful presence cannot be confirmed, notifying federal authorities is basic law-enforcement cooperation, not immigration politics. Colorado's limits were written for civil enforcement; they should not shield people charged with crimes of violence. YES.
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Sources
- Ballotpedia, List of Colorado ballot measures — https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_Colorado_ballot_measures
- Colorado 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book), Legislative Council Staff, as reproduced in the Colorado 2026 ballot measures guide — https://whipplewood.com/insights/colorado-2026-ballot-measures-guide/
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.