Colorado Election • November 2026
Enough is enough. Let’s go, Colorado.
Amendment 87 raises taxes. Proposition NN takes away TABOR refunds. Ballot Issue 7A adds a permanent sales tax. Together, they would hurt Colorado families, businesses and our economy.
Vote NO on Amendment 87, Proposition NN and Ballot Issue 7A!
Three MEASURES. THE SAME DIRECTION.
More money from taxpayers.
Less economic growth and a less competitive Colorado.
Colorado families and businesses already face a high cost of living and a tax environment that makes it harder to compete. Amendment 87, Proposition NN and Ballot Issue 7A would add to that burden.
Raises income taxes
Amendment 87 would scrap Colorado’s flat income tax and replace it with a progressive structure with a top rate of 8.4%. Independent economic analysis shows that higher tax rates would encourage businesses, jobs and investment to leave Colorado.
What Amendment 87 doesKeeps TABOR refunds
Proposition NN would permanently raise the state’s spending limit and allow the government to keep money that otherwise would be returned to taxpayers through TABOR refunds.
What Proposition NN doesAdds a permanent sales tax
Ballot Issue 7A is another new sales tax that would raise nearly $300 million every year from Front Range families and businesses at a time when we are already being priced out.
What Ballot Issue 7A doesVote No on Amendment 87
Protect Colorado’s economy from a $2.7 billion tax hike.
Amendment 87 would replace Colorado’s flat income tax with eight tax brackets and a top rate of 8.4% for individuals and businesses.
Colorado can’t afford it
A tax increase of this size could cost jobs and make it harder to attract employers and investment to Colorado.
It gives lawmakers a blank check
The measure identifies broad priorities, but the Colorado Legislature would decide exactly how the additional revenue is spent.
It hits Main Street
The higher rates could affect local restaurants, farms, ranches and other small businesses.
Vote NO on Amendment 87!
Vote No on Proposition NN
Protect Colorado taxpayers’ TABOR refunds.
Proposition NN would permanently raise Colorado’s state spending limit. That would allow the state to keep money that otherwise would be returned to taxpayers through TABOR refunds.
Estimated TABOR refunds the state could retain
The economic costs
Economic modeling estimates that retaining these TABOR refunds could result in:
- 46 to 2,227 fewer jobs across the economy
- 460 to 2,056 fewer private-sector jobs
- Up to $376 million in reduced personal income
Education spending
More spending does not automatically mean better results
Increase in inflation-adjusted school district spending per pupil since 2013, while standardized test scores declined at benchmark grade levels.
The question for taxpayers isn’t simply whether Colorado should spend more. It is whether taxpayers should permanently give up TABOR protections and refunds without evidence that additional spending will produce better results.
Vote NO on Proposition NN!
Vote NO on Ballot Issue 7A
Colorado families can’t afford another permanent sales tax.
Ballot Issue 7A is another new sales tax that would raise nearly $300 million every year from Front Range families and businesses at a time when we are already being priced out. The plan is to expand a passenger rail project that already has funding for its first phase and has never proven it can deliver on time or on budget. Now they want more of your money.
New sales and use tax
0.333% Added within the rail districtHow long it lasts
Permanent No sunset dateWhat it funds
Passenger rail Colorado Connector (CoCo)What voters should know
Permanent tax
The proposal does not include a sunset date. Once it’s on, it’s on. It would add an ongoing cost as families face high housing, grocery and energy prices.
Broken promises
The already-funded Denver-Fort Collins service has yet to carry a single passenger or prove real ridership. Longmont taxpayers also continue to pay the 0.4% FasTracks sales tax while Northwest Rail to Longmont remains unfinished for decades.
Additional costs
There will be multibillion-dollar capital costs for the full build-out, including the southern extension and higher frequencies, and ongoing operating subsidies that independent analyses show will likely run tens of dollars per rider after fares.
Past regional rail experience
Longmont taxpayers paid. The train never arrived.
FasTracks and CoCo are separate projects. But Northwest Rail’s history shows why voters should demand firm costs, timelines and accountability before approving another rail tax.
Paid by Longmont taxpayers
Longmont taxpayers have paid more than $100 million in FasTracks sales taxes, yet they still don’t have a train.
The original completion target
More than two decades after FasTracks was approved, the Northwest Rail corridor remains unfinished.
Sources: Colorado Sun, Complete Colorado, RTD FasTracks and RTD Northwest Rail Feasibility Study.
Who will vote on 7A?
Ballot Issue 7A will appear only on ballots in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Pueblo and Weld counties.
Vote NO on Ballot Issue 7A!
The Bottom Line
Different measures. The same result.
Amendment
Raises taxes
Proposition
Raises spending
Ballot Issue
Adds sales tax
Amendment 87 would make Colorado less competitive by imposing significantly higher income-tax rates on individuals and businesses. Proposition NN would allow the state to permanently keep money that otherwise would be returned to taxpayers under TABOR. Ballot Issue 7A would add a permanent sales and use tax within the rail district to fund Colorado Connector passenger rail.
The result
Less money available for families, businesses, investment and economic growth.
Get the facts
Amendment 87 FAQ
Questions about the income tax measure on Colorado’s November 2026 ballot.
What is Amendment 87?
Amendment 87 is a $2.7 billion income tax hike on the Colorado ballot in November 2026. It seeks to get rid of taxpayer protections in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights that stop politicians from setting tax rates without a vote of the people and allow the state to nearly double the tax rate for individuals and businesses.
Who is behind Amendment 87?
The political backers of the tax hike are a range of special interests but it was primarily led by the Bell Policy Center, a special interest group that does not disclose all of its donors but has been found to get support from organizations funded by foreign billionaires.
Where does the money go?
The measure says the additional tax revenue will go to K-12 education, healthcare and childcare costs, but that’s deceptive as it allows politicians in Denver at the State Legislature to determine how exactly the money gets spent. There is no guarantee how the money will be spent because it’s left up to politicians, who could end up spending it on their pet projects or even send some of the money to their own non-profits as they currently do. It all amounts to a blank check from Colorado taxpayers and businesses.
Doesn’t it just tax the rich?
No, that’s only what the special interests pushing the measure say. Due to how it’s written, it won’t just tax corporations and wealthy individuals, but many Main Street businesses like local restaurants and farmers and ranchers across Colorado. The language in the ballot measure means it could affect over 90% of businesses in Colorado – not just major companies, but local and family-owned businesses across the state.
Will my taxes go up?
Yes, eventually. The measure itself creates eight brand-new tax brackets, getting rid of the current system where all income is taxed at the same rate. It creates higher tax rates for income for individuals and businesses that make over $500,000, but it does two things that will likely raise nearly everyone’s taxes. First, it doesn’t index the tax brackets for inflation, so over time the higher tax brackets will eventually hit middle-class families. Second, it will allow politicians in Denver, rather than the voters, to determine what the tax rate for each of the eight tax brackets will be. Currently, only the voters of Colorado can determine how and when to raise tax rates.
How will it affect the economy?
It will cause job losses as businesses and wealthy individuals move to states with lower taxes and will make it harder to attract companies with good paying jobs to the state. A recent study found it will lead to the loss of $200 million and thousands of jobs. The ultimate impact of the measure may be more jobs and tax revenue for places like Texas and Florida, not Colorado.
What has happened when other states have done something similar?
When Washington state passed a “millionaire’s tax” earlier this year, Starbucks announced they were going to create 2,000 new jobs in Tennessee instead of their founding state of Washington, while many other businesses and wealthy individuals have announced plans to leave the state.
Save Colorado’s future