Colorado voters have turned down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have imposed additional hurdles on any mid-decade redrawing of the state's congressional districts, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ.
Amendment 86, also known as Initiative 256, failed to secure the 55% supermajority required for passage. With most ballots counted, just over 46% supported the measure, while roughly 53% opposed it.
The amendment sought to require that any redistricting outside the usual 10-year cycle be approved both by Colorado's independent redistricting commission and the state Supreme Court. It also would have added language to the state constitution mandating that the commission hold at least three public meetings and refrain from adopting any plan that divides communities of interest or deliberately favors one political party.
The measure was widely seen as an attempt to curb potential Democratic gerrymandering after the 2026 elections, as both major parties have been maneuvering to redraw House maps to their advantage in the current cycle. Republicans, encouraged by President Trump, have pushed GOP-led states like Texas and Missouri to redraw their maps before November, while Democrats have only been able to respond in California. Those efforts have had mixed results, as seen in Missouri's rejection of a GOP redistricting plan and the backlash against Republican redistricting gambits in other states.
Colorado is one of a handful of states that rely on an independent commission to review and submit redistricting plans, a system designed to reduce partisan influence. However, both parties are already looking ahead to the 2028 cycle, anticipating another round of mid-decade redistricting battles.
Earlier this year, Colorado Democrats failed to advance their own ballot measures that would have created an opportunity to redraw the state's House map before 2028. That failure, combined with Tuesday's rejection of Amendment 86, leaves the state's current redistricting process unchanged.
Political analysts note that the defeat of Amendment 86 is a significant victory for those who favor keeping the existing independent commission and court oversight intact. Supporters of the measure had argued that additional safeguards were needed to prevent partisan manipulation, while opponents contended that the current system already provides adequate checks and balances.
The outcome in Colorado comes amid a broader national debate over redistricting, with several states considering or implementing changes to how congressional maps are drawn. The political fallout from aggressive redistricting efforts has become a recurring theme in recent election cycles, and Colorado's decision may influence similar proposals elsewhere.
With the amendment rejected, Colorado's existing rules for mid-decade redistricting remain in place, meaning any such effort would still require approval from the independent commission and the state Supreme Court, but without the additional public meeting and community-of-interest requirements that Amendment 86 would have added.
