Amendment 86Constitutional amendment · Citizen initiative
Mid-decade map approval rules
Explain it like I'm 5
Colorado normally redraws congressional districts every ten years after the census. If districts are changed in between, this measure would require approval from an independent commission and the state Supreme Court, like needing both a referee and a judge to approve a rule change.
Yes vote
Mid-decade congressional maps must receive approval from the independent commission and the Colorado Supreme Court, along with the measure’s other stated procedures.
No vote
Current rules for congressional redistricting remain in place without these added requirements.
The question to ask yourself
Should Colorado require independent and court approval before changing congressional maps between censuses?
The case for
- Makes partisan mid-decade map changes harder.
- Adds independent review, public process, and court oversight.
- Protects Colorado’s voter-approved independent redistricting framework.
Backed by: Advance Colorado, Republican Party of Colorado
The case against
- Extra approvals could slow necessary corrections to illegal or outdated maps.
- The amendment adds constitutional barriers for a situation that may rarely arise.
- Courts and commissions could gain more control over decisions that otherwise belong to elected institutions.
Opposed by: Denver DSA, Bell Policy Center
- Money
- The official estimate is about $370,000 in Legislative Department costs in a year when an off-cycle commission review occurs.
- Don't be misled
- It is misleading to say this redraws districts now, because it establishes procedures for possible future mid-decade changes.