Amendment 86, explained: redrawing districts between censuses
Amendment 86 would make it much harder for Colorado to redraw its congressional map in the middle of a decade. It is a constitutional amendment, so it needs 55% to pass.
Requires both the independent commission and the Colorado Supreme Court to approve any mid-decade map.
Leaves the constitution's redistricting rules as they are now.
What Amendment 86 does
- Requires any mid-decade congressional redistricting to be approved by the independent redistricting commission and the Colorado Supreme Court.
- Bars maps drawn to favor one political party.
- Needs 55% of the vote, because it amends the constitution.
How it got here
Colorado voters created the independent redistricting commission in 2018. On June 29, 2026, the Colorado Supreme Court struck down Democratic-backed redistricting measures for violating the single-subject rule. Amendment 86, backed by the conservative group Advance Colorado, qualified on August 31.
Both arguments, equal space
We don't tell you how to vote. Here is the best honest case each side makes.
The case for yes
Colorado voters created the independent commission by overwhelming margins in 2018.
Supporters say this closes the door on the mid-decade partisan redraws other states attempted in 2025 and 2026, and adds the state Supreme Court as a backstop.
The case for no
Opponents call it a partisan lock-in dressed as reform, filed by a conservative group specifically to block Democratic redistricting efforts.
They say it removes flexibility to respond to court orders or population changes between censuses.
Amendment 86 is one of fourteen statewide questions on your ballot
The full 2026 Colorado Voter Guide covers five statewide races, judicial retention, and all fourteen ballot questions, each with the strongest case for both sides. Instant PDF download.
Get the Colorado guide · $12.99Before you vote: read the official wording and analysis in the 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (the Blue Book), mailed to voters and posted by the Colorado Legislative Council. This page summarizes; it is not the ballot text.
Sources: Colorado Secretary of State; the 2026 Blue Book; Colorado Politics and other reporting on Amendment 86.