Ballot Title Setting Board
2017-2018

The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

An amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning legislative redistricting, and, in connection therewith, changing the commission that draws maps for state legislative districts; establishing the criteria to be met by new district maps; prohibiting maps drawn to protect any candidate for state legislative office or political party and maps drawn to dilute or that have the effect of diluting the electoral influence of any racial, ethnic, or language minority group; prioritizing the preservation of communities of interest and certain political subdivisions but allowing the division of a political subdivision between districts to account for certain communities of interest; to the extent possible, maximizing the number of competitive districts; specifying the qualifications and methods of appointment of commissioners, 4 of whom must be registered with the state’s largest political party, 4 of whom must be registered with the state’s second largest political party, and 4 of whom must not be registered with any political party; prohibiting certain persons, including professional lobbyists, elected federal, state, county, or city officials, candidates for the general assembly, and campaign employees, from serving on the commission; requiring at least 8 of the 12 commissioners, including at least 2 commissioners who are not registered with any political party, to approve a redistricting map; and limiting judicial review of a map to a determination by the supreme court that the commission or its nonpartisan staff committed an abuse of discretion.

The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning legislative redistricting, and, in connection therewith, changing the commission that draws maps for state legislative districts; establishing the criteria to be met by new district maps; prohibiting maps drawn to protect any candidate for state legislative office or political party and maps drawn to dilute or that have the effect of diluting the electoral influence of any racial, ethnic, or language minority group; prioritizing the preservation of communities of interest and certain political subdivisions but allowing the division of a political subdivision between districts to account for certain communities of interest; to the extent possible, maximizing the number of competitive districts; specifying the qualifications and methods of appointment of commissioners, 4 of whom must be registered with the state’s largest political party, 4 of whom must be registered with the state’s second largest political party, and 4 of whom must not be registered with any political party; prohibiting certain persons, including professional lobbyists, elected federal, state, county, or city officials, candidates for the general assembly, and campaign employees, from serving on the commission; requiring at least 8 of the 12 commissioners, including at least 2 commissioners who are not registered with any political party, to approve a redistricting map; and limiting judicial review of a map to a determination by the supreme court that the commission or its nonpartisan staff committed an abuse of discretion?

Hearing April 18, 2018

Single subject approved.

The Board determined that the proposed initiative does not only repeal in whole or in part a provision of the state constitution. The requirement for approval by fifty-five percent of the votes cast applies to this initiative.

Staff draft amended; titles set.

Hearing adjourned 2:05 PM.

* Unofficially captioned “Legislative Redistricting” by legislative staff for tracking purposes. This caption is not part of the titles set by the Board.