Supporters Call Amendment 87 Victory as Vote Count Nears Completion

Supporters of Amendment 87 declared victory on Thursday afternoon after two days of vote counting. The ballot measure, which would replace Colorado’s flat income tax with a graduated system, is leading with 50.6 percent of the vote as of 1:50 p.m. The margin is just over 1.2 percentage points in favor of the yes side. While the result is not yet official, the lead has remained stable since election night.

Chris deGruy Kennedy, president and CEO of the Bell Policy Center, told a crowd at La Raza Park in northwest Denver that the outcome marks a major shift for the state. The Bell Policy Center is the liberal group that placed the measure on the ballot. Kennedy described the result as a signal from voters that they intend to change how the state economy supports working people, older adults, and children.

The remaining votes to be counted are concentrated in Denver and Boulder counties. These areas have shown strong support for the measure, with yes votes leading by two-to-one margins in those regions. This geographic distribution gave campaign leaders confidence in the final outcome before the official certification.

Amendment 87 represents the largest change to Colorado income tax policy in more than a generation. It repeals a constitutional requirement that all taxable income be taxed at a single rate. Under the new law, the flat rate would be abolished. People and businesses earning over $500,000 a year would face higher tax rates, while the majority of Coloradans would see tax cuts. Proponents chose to remove language from the constitution rather than add to it, which allowed the measure to pass with a simple majority instead of the 55 percent supermajority required for new constitutional provisions.

The measure is projected to generate approximately $2 billion in additional state revenue for the next fiscal year. The legislature could direct this funding toward education, healthcare, and childcare. This influx of revenue comes after two years of budget deficits exceeding $1 billion, which forced cuts to government services and programs, including Medicaid.

The campaign faced substantial opposition from conservative advocacy groups and some prominent Democrats. Outgoing Governor Jared Polis, a longtime opponent of income taxes, campaigned against the measure. Governor-elect Phil Weiser also announced his opposition days before the election. Conservative group Advance Colorado backed a competing measure, Proposition 136, which would have capped the state income tax rate at the current 4.4 percent. Proposition 136 was losing by 4.8 percentage points as of Thursday.

Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the declaration of victory. Earlier in the day, he declined to comment on the potential impacts of the amendment’s passage. In a statement, Loren Furman, president and CEO of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, said businesses are already struggling with rising costs. Furman warned that the tax increases would force difficult decisions regarding wages, hiring, and future investments.

If Amendment 87 passes, it will join other recent tax measures approved by voters. Proposition NN, which allows the state to keep excess tax revenue for K-12 education, is projected to generate $500 million next year. Voters also appear likely to pass Proposition 137, which would direct approximately $175 million in excess sales tax revenue from sporting goods to wildfire mitigation and conservation efforts.