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Our call — vote YES
The measure
This is a citizen-initiated statute. It increases the penalty for human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to life in prison without parole or release, and expands the offense to include knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor — covering buyers as well as sellers.
What YES does
A YES vote makes life without parole the sentence for child sex trafficking, and makes buying sexual activity with a minor part of the same offense.
What NO does
A NO vote keeps the existing felony penalties: a sentencing range of 8 to 48 years in prison plus a mandatory parole period, after which a convicted trafficker can be released.
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.
There is no rehabilitation argument and no deterrence half-measure that fits trafficking a child for sex. Current law guarantees these offenders an eventual release date; this measure removes it, and it closes the buyer loophole by treating purchasing a child as trafficking. Protecting children is the first duty on the ballot. 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.