Voting is a sacred right to United States Citizens and an opportunity for people to influence changes in our government, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t confusing and even overwhelming. Continue reading to learn about some of the propositions and candidates on the ballot this year.

Remember, you must vote by November 8th! 

*This article does not include every item on the ballot, only major ones.

Elected officials:

Governor-

Jared Polis (D, Incumbent)

Polis’ values include but are not limited to, increased funding and resources for education as well as parents of school-aged children, protecting Colorado’s natural environment as well as increased resources for first responders, making Colorado state parks more accessible, access to abortions and other reproductive care and support systems for LGBTQ+ youth. Source: https://polisforcolorado.com/issues/

Heidi Ganahl (R)

Ganahl’s values include but are not limited to, ending Colorado’s status as a sanctuary state, enacting strong persecutions for fentanyl possession, pro-life policies with the exception of rape or incest, and returning strong law and order with programs like a strong parole board, truth in sentencing, and bail reform that does not allow for the release of repeat offenders. Source: https://www.heidiforgovernor.com/priorities/

Colorado Senator-

Michael Bennet (D, Incumbent)

Bennet’s values include but are not limited to, preserving resilient agriculture which is vital to the economy, improving the climate with action to preserve water, prevent forest fires and more, an improved healthcare system for all Coloradans, and actions to preserve free and fair elections. Source: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/priorities

Joe O’Dea (R)

O’Dea’s values include but are not limited to, defending working Americans and small business owners, fighting for school choice, lowering the national debt, and supporting abortion rights and same-sex mariages, stating simply, “You live your life, I’ll live mine.”

US House Colorado District 3-

Lauren Boebert (R, Incumbent)

Boebert’s values include but are not limited to, Pro-Life and family values initiatives, protection of the second amendment, and keeping what she describes as a “woke ideology” (Gender Studies, Critical Race Theory and Transgender Ideologies) out of the school system. Source: https://boebert.house.gov/issues

Adam Frisch (D)

Frisch’s values include but are not limited to, Pro-Choice initiatives, better funding for schools including higher salaries for teachers and increased budget per student, more affordable healthcare, the preservation of natural resources and our agricultural economy. Source: https://www.adamforcolorado.com/issue

County Commissioner-

Clyde Church (D, Incumbent)

Church’s values include but are not limited to, wildfire mitigation, economic development and transportation infrastructure, with an emphasis on economics as a subset of engineering. Source: https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/clyde-church-announces-reelection-campaign-for-county-commissioner/

Brad Blake (R)

Blake’s values include but are not limited to, creating balanced leadership in a very diverse county, clean air and water as well as better forest management, creating a friendly business environment, and addressing homelessness. Source: https://electbradblake.com/issues/

Jack Turner (I)

Turner’s values include but are not limited to, serving the community without political interests, bridge a partisan divide within our county government, and an increase in affordable, attainable, and workforce housing.

Many of the propositions stated in the ballot are as follows:

Proposition FF- Healthy School Lunches

“Shall state taxes be increased $100,727,820 annually by a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes that, to support healthy meals for public school students, increases state taxable income only for individuals who have federal taxable income of $300,000 or more by limiting itemized or standard state income tax deductions to $12,000 for single tax return filers and $16,000 for joint tax return filers, and, in connection therewith, creating the healthy school meals for all program to provide free school meals to students in public schools; providing grants for participating schools to purchase Colorado grown, raised, or processed products, to increase wages or provide stipends for employees who prepare and serve school meals, and to create parent and student advisory committees to provide advice to ensure school meals are healthy and appealing to all students; and creating a program to assist in promoting Colorado food products and preparing school meals using basic nutritious ingredients with minimal reliance on processed products?”

Proposition 122- Use of Natural Psychedelics

“Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning legal regulated access to natural medicine for persons 21 years of age or older, and, in connection therewith, defining natural medicine as certain plants or fungi that affect a person’s mental health and are controlled substances under state law; establishing a natural medicine regulated access program for supervised care, and requiring the department of regulatory agencies to implement the program and comprehensively regulate natural medicine to protect public health and safety; creating an advisory board to advise the department as to the implementation of the program; granting a local government limited authority to regulate the time, place, and manner of providing natural medicine services; allowing limited personal possession, use, and uncompensated sharing of natural medicine; providing specified protections under state law, including criminal and civil immunity, for authorized providers and users of natural medicine; and, in limited circumstances, allowing the retroactive removal and reduction of criminal penalties related to the possession, use, and sale of natural medicine?” 

Proposition 123- Affordable Housing

“Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning statewide funding for additional affordable housing, and, in connection therewith, dedicating state revenues collected from an existing tax of one-tenth of one percent on federal taxable income of every individual, estate, trust, and corporation, as defined in law, for affordable housing and exempting the dedicated revenues from the constitutional limitation on state fiscal year spending; allocating 60% of the dedicated revenues to affordable housing financing programs that will reduce rents, purchase land for affordable housing development, and build assets for renters; allocating 40% of the dedicated revenues to programs that support affordable home ownership, serve persons experiencing homelessness, and support local planning capacity; requiring local governments that seek additional affordable housing funding to expedite development approvals for affordable housing projects and commit to increasing the number of affordable housing units by 3% annually; and specifying that the dedicated revenues shall not supplant existing appropriations for affordable housing programs?”

Proposition 125- Wine at Grocery Stores

“Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning the expansion of retail sale of alcohol beverages, and, in connection therewith, establishing a new fermented malt beverage and wine retailer license for off-site consumption to allow grocery stores, convenience stores, and other business establishments licensed to sell fermented malt beverages, such as beer, for off-site consumption to also sell wine; automatically converting such a fermented malt beverage retailer license to the new license; and allowing fermented malt beverage and wine retailer licensees to conduct tastings if approved by the local licensing authority?”

Proposition 126- 3rd Party Delivery of Alcohol

“Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning authorization for the third-party delivery of alcohol beverages, and, in connection therewith, allowing retail establishments licensed to sell alcohol beverages for on-site or off-site consumption to deliver all types of alcohol beverages to a person twenty-one years of age or older through a third-party delivery service that obtains a delivery service permit; prohibiting the delivery of alcohol beverages to a person who is under 21 years of age, is intoxicated, or fails to provide proof of identification; removing the limit on the percentage of gross sales revenues a licensee may receive from alcohol beverage deliveries; and allowing a technology services company, without obtaining a third-party delivery service permit, to provide software or a digital network application that connects consumers and licensed retailers for the delivery of alcohol beverages?”

Don’t forget to vote by November 8th! Voting lets everyone’s voice be heard on important issues. Your opinions matter especially within the context of the government and elected officials.