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- calendar_today October 15, 2026
Legal Dispute Emerges Over Colorado Amendment 87 Ballot Inclusion
Controversy has arisen regarding Amendment 87, Colorado’s proposed graduated income tax measure, after a lawsuit called into question the process that certified its placement on the November ballot. The suit alleges that dozens of individuals collecting signatures for the amendment were not properly trained or registered, potentially jeopardizing the measure’s legitimacy.
Lawsuit Alleges Improper Signature Collection
The case centers on the claim that 69 petition circulators who helped gather signatures to place Amendment 87 before voters did not meet the state’s training and registration requirements. According to the lawsuit, if signatures collected by these individuals are invalidated, only 121,089 signatures would remain — below the threshold required for ballot qualification.
Petition Circulator Registration Requirements
In Colorado, petition circulators who are compensated by candidates or organizations must complete an online training course and be registered with the state. Failure to adhere to these requirements can result in penalties, but according to state officials, does not necessarily lead to the invalidation of the signatures themselves.
Secretary of State’s Office Responds
The Colorado Secretary of State’s office disputed the arguments presented in the lawsuit. Legal filings from the state argue that the consequences for unregistered circulators affect petition entities directly — through fines or loss of license — and do not call for invalidation of already-gathered signatures. The office also asserts that, of the individuals identified by the lawsuit, 33 were registered correctly with the state, and the signatures collected by the remainder would still leave Amendment 87 with enough valid support for inclusion on the ballot.
Stakeholders React to Legal Challenge
J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is not a plaintiff in the suit but has expressed opposition to Amendment 87. “We want to make sure that process has integrity and has limited opportunities for fraud,” Ament said. He added that if the contested signatures were excluded, “Colorado voters won’t need to worry about the damage the amendment itself will do, because the votes shouldn’t be counted in the first place.”
Katie Farnan, communications director for the “Yes on 87” campaign, described the legal pushback as unsurprising. “It’s no surprise that wealthy interests would rather fight Amendment 87 in court than in front of voters,” she said, emphasizing that the measure targets income tax reform for individuals making over $500,000.
Amendment 87 Already on Ballots
Despite the active legal situation, ballots featuring Amendment 87 have already been printed and distributed to voters across Colorado. The measure proposes the introduction of a graduated income tax, altering the state’s current tax system.
Next Steps in the Ballot Certification Dispute
The first hearing in the case concerning amendment 87 signatures and petition circulator registration is set for Monday morning. The outcome may influence future approaches to petition training requirements and could set precedents for ballot certification procedures in Colorado.
Source: kdvr.com.
