Colorado · 2026 ballot
What it says. What it changes.
And where to read it for yourself.
Four statements, with the records behind them.
Constitutional text
Amendment 84 is a proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution. If approved, a voter signing a mail ballot would also include the last four digits of a government-issued identification number on the reply envelope. It adds that check on top of the current signature verification. Because it amends the constitution, it requires 55 percent of the vote to pass, not a simple majority.
Official record
A yes vote would require voters to provide identification information with their mail ballot, in addition to their signature. A no vote would keep the current signature-only verification system for mail ballots. Either way, mail voting and in-person voting continue.
Official record
No. The measure keeps the existing signature on the reply envelope and adds an identification number to it. The filed text requires the voter to sign the envelope and include the last four digits of an accepted identification number; the signature remains part of verification.
Constitutional text
The filed text names three accepted sources: a social security number, a Colorado real identification number, or a Colorado real identification driver’s license number. A voter may also include the last four digits of another form of Colorado identification that meets the federal Real ID Act. No new ID is created and no document must be mailed in.
Constitutional text
If the identification information does not match the voter’s registration or is missing, the ballot is not counted until the discrepancy is corrected. The county clerk and recorder must send the voter a notice describing how to correct it, and the voter has eight days after election day to do so.
Official record
Colorado verifies mail ballots by comparing the signature on the reply envelope with the signature the voter left on file. Two election judges of different political parties review the signature, and a voter whose identity cannot be confirmed within eight days has the ballot rejected unless they cure it. In 2024, 92 percent of Colorado ballots were cast by mail.
Constitutional text
No. The measure says it does not change the forms of identification that may be presented when voting in person at a voter service and polling center. It also does not end mail voting; in 2024, 92 percent of Colorado ballots were already cast by mail.
Fiscal estimate
The Blue Book estimates the measure will increase state and local spending by up to $2.7 million in the initial 2026–27 budget year and about $1.2 million annually in future years. A driver of the cost is that election judges must review the identification numbers voters provide. These are estimates of added spending, not a guarantee.
Fiscal estimate
The Blue Book estimates the measure would increase county spending by up to $2.5 million in the 2026–27 budget year and up to $1.2 million in future years. About 45 percent of those county costs would be reimbursed by the state government.
Fiscal estimate
The Blue Book notes that business filing fees may need to be raised to cover all or some of the costs of the measure. The state does not currently have the money in its business-fee fund to fully offset the added spending, so a fee change is one possible source of the funds.
Fiscal estimate
Election judges must review the identification numbers voters provide, which the Blue Book says will increase staffing hours and overtime during elections. That added verification work is a main driver of the state and local cost estimate.
Policy arguments
The Blue Book records that some voters have privacy concerns about providing sensitive information when submitting their ballot. The measure collects the last four digits of an identification number, not the full number or a copy of the card. The record describes the concern but does not quantify any expected change in fraud.
Policy arguments
In the Blue Book, supporters argue that additional voter verification strengthens election security while preserving convenient access to voting. Opponents argue that the measure adds an unnecessary burden to voting without meaningfully improving election security. Both sides accept that mail voting and in-person voting continue.
Official record
As checked October 6, 2026, the Secretary of State lists the Colorado Voter Trust Initiative as the sponsor and a supporter, and Defend our Ballots Issue Committee and Vote Common Sense in opposition to Amendment 84. Committee listings can change before the election.
Behind the answers
The ballot listing, filed text, and Blue Book analysis. Verification, the correction window, costs, and the arguments, with the original records one click away.
Browse the sources