Voter Challenges Colorado Amendment 87 Certification

A new lawsuit claims petition circulators failed to meet state registration and training requirements.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Civic Engagement

Voter Challenges Colorado Amendment 87 Certification

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A Colorado voter has filed a lawsuit seeking to challenge the certification of Amendment 87, alleging that 69 petition circulators were not properly trained or registered. The dispute centers on whether these procedural lapses should invalidate signatures included in the measure's total.

Why it matters

The legal challenge targets the integrity of the ballot certification process, potentially impacting the validity of a measure already printed on ballots sent to voters. The court must determine if registration requirements are grounds for disqualifying signatures that are otherwise submitted.

The lawsuit challenges 69 petition circulators, though the state reports 33 of those individuals were correctly registered. If all disputed signatures are removed, Amendment 87 would be left with a total of 121,089 signatures.

The players

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is the official responsible for the administration of elections and ballot certification processes in Colorado.

The details

Colorado law requires paid petition circulators to complete an online training course and mandates that entities register circulators with the state. The Secretary of State maintains that failing to meet these registration requirements does not provide sufficient legal grounds to invalidate individual signatures.

Monday: The first court hearing is scheduled in Denver.

Political Context

Opponents of the legal challenge argue that using registration technicalities to invalidate signatures threatens the democratic process of ballot access. Conversely, supporters of the lawsuit contend that strict adherence to training and registration mandates is essential to ensure the integrity of the initiative collection process.

Since Amendment 87 is already printed on ballots sent to voters, the outcome of this case could create confusion regarding the measure's legal status. Residents should monitor further court proceedings to understand if their vote on this specific amendment will be counted as intended.

The takeaway

Voters should be aware that legal disputes over petition validity can occur even after ballots have been finalized and distributed. Checking official state election resources periodically is the best way to stay informed on the legal status of measures currently before the electorate.