Amendment 85: Plain Language Ballot Titles
Amendment 85 on Colorado's November 3, 2026 ballot (a statewide measure). Passes with at least 55 percent of votes cast. Plain-language summary of what YES and NO mean, with sources.
Would require all ballot titles to be in plain language, written at no more than an eighth-grade reading level, and bar laws from requiring wording in citizen-initiative titles if it interferes with plain language. Titles for measures referred by the legislature are not covered by that prohibition. The Blue Book notes the measure does not define plain language or say who decides whether a title meets it. A YES vote: Ballot titles must be in plain language at an eighth-grade level, and no law may interfere with that requirement for citizen initiatives. A NO vote: Current law continues: ballot titles must be plain language, with no specific grade-level standard. It passes with at least 55 percent of votes cast. This explanation was prepared with AI assistance and compared with the official Blue Book by an automated process; no person has signed off on it. Confirm details with the official sources.