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DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation, sponsored by Representatives Kenny Nguyen and Lorena García, that would make ballot language more accessible, transparent and easier to understand. HB26-1320 passed by a vote of 41-19.
“We’re sponsoring legislation to make ballot language easier to understand for all voters,” said Rep. Kenny Nguyen, D-Broomfield. “Hyper-technical ballot language is a barrier that can make it less likely for people to vote on ballot measures. We’re bolstering Colorado’s gold standard elections by making ballot language more digestible, encouraging even more Coloradans to turn in their ballots.”
“While the Trump Administration attempts to strip Americans of their right to vote, Colorado Democrats are building on our work to make elections more accessible,” said Rep. Lorena García, D-Unincorporated Adams County. “Our bill gives ballot drafters more flexibility in how they structure ballot questions to provide voters more clarity. We want Coloradans to have a chance at understanding what is on their ballot when they fill it out, which is why we are making the language more understandable and adding impacts to the state budget.”
HB26-1320 requires ballot titles to be written in plain language that is understood by the widest possible audience. Under this bill, ballot titles would be required to include language that is substantially similar to the statutory language, rather than word-for-word, to make it easier for voters to understand.
This bill also adds language to tax revenue ballot titles to include the effects of tax revenue increases or decreases to better inform voters. By including plain language in the bill title, voters would have a better understanding of the impact of a ballot measure from the beginning.
Colorado has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. HB26-1320 is the latest in a series of bills championed by Colorado Democrats to safeguard and improve Colorado’s gold standard election system. This includes HB26-1084, which aims to share information with voters about how much proposed ballot measures could cost the state and taxpayers, as well as the impacts on essential state services, and HB26-1113, which makes necessary modifications and updates to Colorado’s election system.