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Colorado Amendment V, Reduced Age Qualification for General Assembly Members Amendment (2018)

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Colorado Amendment V
Flag of Colorado.png
Election date
November 6, 2018
Topic
State legislatures measures
Status
Defeatedd Defeated
Type
Constitutional amendment
Origin
State legislature


Colorado Amendment V, the Reduced Age Qualification for General Assembly Members Amendment was on the ballot in Colorado as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.[3] It was defeated

A "yes" vote supported this amendment to reduce the age qualification from 25 to 21 for citizens to be members of the state House of Representatives or state Senate.
A "no" vote opposed this amendment to reduce the age qualification from 25 to 21 for citizens to be members of the state House of Representatives or state Senate.


Supermajority requirement: A 55 percent supermajority vote was required for the approval of Amendment V.

Election results

Colorado Amendment V

Result Votes Percentage
Yes 889,179 36.19%

Defeated No

1,567,560 63.81%
Results are officially certified.
Source

Overview

What would Amendment V have done?

This amendment would have lowered the required age to serve in the Colorado General Assembly as a representative or senator from age 25 to 21 and would have added the following underlined language to section 4 of article V of the Colorado Constitution: "No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not be a citizen of the United States, and who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his or her election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the district in which he or she shall be chosen."[4]

How did Amendment V get on the ballot?

In Colorado, a constitutional amendment must be passed by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the state legislature during one legislative session. The amendment was introduced into the legislature as Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 on April 12, 2017. The Colorado Senate passed the measure, 29 to 6, on April 25, 2017. The Colorado House of Representatives approved the measure, 45 to 20, on May 8, 2017. Votes in favor were needed from at least 42 representatives to refer the amendment.

The following elected officials sponsored the measure in the state legislature:[5]

Due to the passage of Amendment 71 in 2016, a 55 percent vote at the ballot box is required to pass this amendment.

Age requirements of state legislators

As of 2018, Colorado’s age requirement to serve in the general assembly ranked with two other states, Utah and Arizona, as the highest minimum age in the country.[6] According to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the average age of a Colorado legislator in 2015 was 55, a decade older than the average age of the state’s adult population.[7]

In 2008, voters rejected Referendum L, a similar amendment designed to reduce the age qualification from 25 to 21 for electors to be members of the legislature. The vote was 46.5 percent in support to 53.5 percent against.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:[3]

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning a reduction in the age qualification for a member of the general assembly from twenty-five years to twenty-one years?[8]

Summary and analysis

The summary and analysis provided for this measure in the Colorado 2018 Blue Book was as follows:[9]

Requirements for serving in the state legislature. The state constitution requires that a representative or senator in the state legislature be at least 25 years old, be a U.S. citizen, and reside in the district from which he or she is elected for at least 12 months prior to being elected. Amendment V lowers the minimum age requirement to 21.

Comparison of state age requirements. Every state, with the exception of Vermont, has minimum age requirements ranging from 18 to 30 years old for members of the state legislature. In Colorado, an individual must be at least 25 years old to become a state representative or state senator. Forty-three states set the minimum age requirement for state representatives at either 18 or 21. For state senators, about half of the states set the minimum age requirement between 25 and 30, and the other half set it at either age 18 or 21.

Constitutional changes

See also: Article V, Colorado Constitution

Amendment V would have amended Section 4 of Article V of the Colorado Constitution. The following underlined text would have been added, and struck-through text would have been deleted:[3]

Qualifications of Members

No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five twenty-one years, who shall not be a citizen of the United States, and who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his or her election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the district in which he shall be chosen.[8]

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018
Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.


The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 17, and the FRE is 28. The word count for the ballot title is 31, and the estimated reading time is 8 seconds.

In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here.

Support

The following elected officials sponsored the measure in the state legislature:[5]

New Era Colorado endorsed this measure. New Era Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that describes itself as a non-partisan "multi-issue organization committed to engaging, educating, and training a new generation of active citizens and young leaders in Colorado."[10] In 2007, New Era Colorado testified in support of nearly identical legislation approved by the Legislature. Lawmakers sent the constitutional amendment to the 2008 Colorado ballot, where voters ultimately rejected the measure.

Arguments

  • Lizzy Stephan, the executive director of New Era Colorado Foundation and the New Era Colorado Action Fund, stated that “New Era believes that young people deserve a seat at the table — and that includes in the legislature, where countless issues that impact young people immediately and impact our futures are debated every day. We need more young people to be a part of these conversations, period—as advocates, as voters, and yes, as legislators inside the building as well. Lowering the required age for the legislature sends a message to young people across Colorado: we value your input, your perspective is missing from the conversation, so if you’re ready to lead, throw your hat into the ring."[11]
  • David Sabados, chairman of the Colorado Young Democrats, said: “I know this may be the smallest change in the constitution — just one number — but for a demographic that often communicates in 140 characters, more or less, it would definitely be a large and meaningful change."[12]
  • Representative James Coleman, the youngest legislator in Colorado, said: “If you can go fight in the military and you have to make critical decisions in the field of battle, then [lawmaking] is not hard. … Serving in the military is hard. Getting shot at is hard.”[13]

Official arguments

The supporting argument provided for this measure in the Colorado 2018 Blue Book was as follows:[9]

Excluding 21- to 24-year-olds from seeking election to the state legislature is an unnecessary restriction. A 21-year-old is considered an adult under the law. Voters can judge whether a candidate possesses the maturity, ability, and competence to hold political office. In addition, allowing younger candidates to run for office encourages the civic engagement of young people.[8]

Opposition

In the state legislature, 24 Republicans and two Democrats voted against referring the amendment to the ballot.[5]

Arguments

Arguments against Amendment V question whether 21-year-olds are mature enough to serve.[14]

Official arguments

The opposing argument provided for this measure in the Colorado 2018 Blue Book was as follows:[9]

The current age requirement strikes an appropriate balance between youth and experience. Younger candidates may lack the maturity and expertise to be effective legislators. The policy decisions and political pressures that legislators face are best handled by people with more life experience. Lack of experience could hinder a young legislator's ability to represent his or her constituents effectively.[8]


Media editorials

See also: 2018 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

  • The Aspen Times wrote: "This asks to lower the age from 25 to 21 to serve in the Colorado Legislature. We feel if there is a push by the younger electorate to get involved on a state level, we are for it. The voters in most cases (unless they run unopposed) still have to make the final decision. And really, is there much measureable growth in a young adult four years later?"[15]
  • The Aurora Sentinel endorsed a yes vote on the measure.[16]

Opposition

  • The Gazette wrote: "A yes vote favors lowering the minimum age for serving in the General Assembly from 25 to 21. The best public servants bring wisdom and maturity to public office. Even young voters understand this, as they routinely help elect mature politicians. Let 21 year olds experience life before seeking political office. Vote no on Amendment V."[17]

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Colorado ballot measures
Total campaign contributions:
Support: $3,976.42
Opposition: $0.00

Two committees were registered to support the measure: Win the Fourth Colorado Issue Committee, which had raised $2,632.00 and had spent $2,538.82; and Let Coloradans Serve, which raised $1,344.42 and spent $1,161.96.

One committee was registered to oppose the measure: the State Ballot Issue Committee, which had not reported any campaign finance activity.

Many committees were simultaneously registered to support and oppose multiple measures, therefore it is impossible to distinguish between funds spent on a particular measure. A full list of the committees and their various positions on the 13 statewide measures in Colorado can be found here.


Support

Committees in support of Amendment V
Supporting committeesCash contributionsIn-kind servicesCash expenditures
Win the Fourth Colorado Issue Committee[18]$2,632.00$0.00$2,538.82
Let Coloradans Serve$1,000.00$344.42$817.54
Total$3,632.00$344.42$3,356.36
Totals in support
Total raised:$3,356.36
Total spent:$3,700.78

Background

Age requirements of state legislators in Colorado

A similar measure, the Colorado General Assembly Age Qualification Referendum, also known as Referendum L, was on the November 2008 ballot in Colorado as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was defeated. The measure would have lowered the age requirement for serving in the Colorado general assembly from 25 to 21 years of age.[19][20]

Age requirements of state legislators in other states

In North Dakota, Vermont, and Ohio, there were no minimum age requirements to serve in either chamber of the state legislature as of 2018. In North Carolina, there was no minimum age to serve in the House, but there was a 25-year age requirement to serve in the state Senate.

Two states near Colorado, Arizona and Utah, were like Colorado in that they also had 25-year age requirements to serve in both the state House and Senate.

States represented in orange had a minimum age of 18 years old to serve in the state House, though New Hampshire had a 30-year age requirement to serve in the state Senate. States represented in green had a minimum age requirement of 21 to serve in the state House, but many have had higher age requirements to serve in the state Senate. Missouri, Kentucky, and Delaware had a minimum age requirement to serve in the state House of 24.

According to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the average age of a Colorado legislator in 2015 was 55, a decade older than the average age of the state’s adult population.[21]

The chart below shows the minimum age requirements to serve as a state legislator in the state House and state Senate as of 2018. States shaded in black have no minimum age requirements.


Similar measures in other states

  • In 2016, voters in Alabama approved an amendment to remove any current age restrictions and prohibit future age restrictions for government official positions.

Referred amendments on the ballot

From 1996 through 2016, the state legislature referred 29 constitutional amendments to the ballot. Voters approved 15 and rejected 14 of the referred amendments. All of the amendments were referred to the ballot for elections during even-numbered election years. The average number of amendments appearing on an even-year ballot was between two and three. The approval rate at the ballot box was 51.7 percent during the 20-year period from 1996 through 2016. The rejection rate was 48.3 percent. In 2016, there were two referred amendments on the ballot, and both of them were defeated.

Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, 1996-2016
Total number Approved Percent approved Defeated Percent defeated Even-year average Even-year median Even-year minimum Even-year maximum
29 15 51.72% 14 48.28% 2.64 3.00 0 4

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Colorado Constitution

In Colorado, a constitutional amendment must be passed by a two-thirds vote in each chamber of the state legislature during one legislative session.

The amendment was introduced into the legislature as Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 on April 12, 2017. The Colorado Senate passed the measure, 29 to 6, on April 25, 2017. The Colorado House of Representatives approved the measure, 45 to 20, on May 8, 2017. Votes in favor were needed from at least 42 representatives to refer the amendment.[5]

Senate vote

April 25, 2017[5]

Colorado SCR 1 Senate Vote
ResultVotesPercentage
Approveda Yes 29 82.86%
No617.14%
Partisan breakdown of Senate votes
Party Affiliation Yes No Abstain Total
Democrat 17 0 0 17
Republican 12 6 0 18
Total 29 6 0 35

House vote

May 8, 2017[5]

Colorado SCR 1 House Vote
ResultVotesPercentage
Approveda Yes 45 69.23%
No2030.77%
Partisan breakdown of House votes
Party Affiliation Yes No Abstain Total
Democrat 35 2 0 37
Republican 10 18 0 28
Total 45 20 0 65

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Colorado

Poll times

In Colorado, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time for those who choose to vote in person rather than by mail. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[24][25]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

In Colorado, an individual can pre-register to vote if they are at least 15 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old to vote in any election. A voter must be a citizen of the United States and have established residence in Colorado to vote.[26]

Colorado voters can register to vote through Election Day. However, in order to automatically receive a absentee/mail-in ballot, a voter must register online, through the mail, at a voter registration agency, or driver's license examination facility at least eight days prior to Election Day. A voter that registers through a voter registration drive must submit their application no later than 22 days before the election to automatically receive an absentee/mail-in ballot. A voter can register online or submit a form in person or by fax, email, or mail.[26][27][28]

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Colorado automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and certain other state agencies.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Colorado has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Colorado allows same-day voter registration for individuals who vote in person.

Residency requirements

Colorado law requires 22 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.[27]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Colorado does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[29] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Go Vote Colorado, run by the Colorado Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Colorado requires voters to present non-photo identification when voting in person. If voting by mail for the first, a voter may also need to return a photocopy of his or her identification with their mail-in ballot. Click here for more information.

The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of October 2025. Click here for the most current information, sourced directly from the Office of the Colorado Secretary of State.

The following documents are acceptable forms of identification:
  • A valid Colorado driver’s license or valid identification card issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue. (Note: documents issued to not lawfully present and temporarily lawfully present individuals under Part 5 of Article 2 of Title 42, C.R.S. are not acceptable forms of identification.)
  • A valid U.S. passport.
  • A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. government or of Colorado, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of Colorado.
  • A valid pilot’s license issued by the federal aviation administration or other authorized agency of the U.S.
  • A valid U.S. military identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector.
  • A copy of a current (within the last 60 days) utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the elector.
  • A Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaskan Native Blood.
  • A valid Medicare or Medicaid card issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  • A certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate for the elector.
  • Certified documentation of naturalization.
  • A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible elector issued by an institute of higher education in Colorado, as defined in section 23-3.1-102(5), C.R.S..
  • A valid veteran identification card issued by the U.S. department of veterans affairs veterans health administration with a photograph of the eligible elector.
  • A valid identification card issued by a federally recognized tribal government certifying tribal membership.

Any form of identification listed above that shows your address must show a Colorado address to qualify as an acceptable form of identification.

The following documents are also considered acceptable forms of identification for voting:

  • Verification that a voter is a resident of a group residential facility, as defined in section 1-1-104(18.5), C.R.S.
  • Verification that a voter is a person committed to the department of human services and confined and eligible to register and vote shall be considered sufficient identification of such person for the purposes of section 1-2-210.5, C.R.S.
  • Written correspondence from the county sheriff or his or her designee to the county clerk indicating that a voter is confined in a county jail or detention facility.[30][8]
  • Note: SB 1, signed into law on May 12, 2025, specified that tribal IDs issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, or another federal agency were also valid identification.

State profile

Demographic data for Colorado
 ColoradoU.S.
Total population:5,448,819316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):103,6423,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:84.2%73.6%
Black/African American:4%12.6%
Asian:2.9%5.1%
Native American:0.9%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:3.5%3%
Hispanic/Latino:21.1%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:90.7%86.7%
College graduation rate:38.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$60,629$53,889
Persons below poverty level:13.5%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Colorado.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Colorado

Colorado voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, four are located in Colorado, accounting for 1.94 percent of the total pivot counties.[31]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Colorado had three Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.66 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Colorado coverage on Ballotpedia

See also

External links

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Colorado 2018 General Assembly Age Amendment. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Footnotes

  1. Same-day registration was available for those voting in person at Voter Service and Polling Centers,
  2. Same-day registration was available for those voting in person at Voter Service and Polling Centers,
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Colorado Legislature, "Senate Concurrent Resolution 17-001," accessed April 26, 2017
  4. Colorado General Assembly, "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 17-001," accessed March 27, 2018
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Colorado Legislature, "SCR 17-001 History," accessed April 26, 2017
  6. Colorado Politics, "New Era Colorado backs proposal to lower minimum age for state lawmakers from 25 to 21," accessed March 28, 2018
  7. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislators 2015 AverageAge," accessed March 28, 2018
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Colorado General Assembly, "2018 Blue Book," accessed October 10, 2018
  10. New Era Colorado Foundation, "About Us," accessed March 30, 2018
  11. Colorado Politics, "New Era Colorado backs proposal to lower minimum age for state lawmakers from 25 to 21," accessed March 30, 2018
  12. Denver Post, "With rising youth activism in Donald Trump era, Colorado considers lowering age to serve in legislature," accessed March 30, 2018
  13. Denver Post, "With rising youth activism in Donald Trump era, Colorado considers lowering age to serve in legislature," accessed March 30, 2018
  14. Denver Post, "With rising youth activism in Donald Trump era, Colorado considers lowering age to serve in legislature," accessed March 30, 2018
  15. Aspen Times, "Aspen Times Editorial: Breaking down the state ballot questions," accessed October 31, 2018
  16. Sentinel Colorado, "Sentinel endorsement roundup for 2018: Crow, Polis, roads, schools and more," accessed October 24, 2018
  17. The Gazette, "Gazette's Endorsements Election 2018: Ballot Issues," accessed October 15, 2018
  18. All of Win the Fourth Colorado Issue Committee's contributions came from Win the Fourth Colorado PAC
  19. Aspen Times: "Referendums L, M, N and O deserve your support," Oct 1, 2008
  20. Colorado State Legislative Council, "Ballot History," accessed February 26, 2014
  21. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislators 2015 Average Age," accessed March 28, 2018
  22. South Dakota Political Almanac, "South Dakota Constitutional Amendments, Initiatives and Referendums 1970-2010," accessed August 21, 2014
  23. South Dakota Secretary of State, "Historical Election Data," accessed August 21, 2014
  24. Colorado Secretary of State, "Mail-in Ballots FAQs," accessed August 6, 2025
  25. LexisNexis, "Colorado Revised Statutes, § 1-7-101," accessed August 6, 2025
  26. 26.0 26.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed August 6, 2025
  27. 27.0 27.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "Colorado Voter Registration Form," accessed August 6, 2025
  28. Colorado Secretary of State, "Go Vote Colorado," accessed August 6, 2025
  29. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  30. Colorado Secretary of State, "Acceptable Forms of Identification," accessed August 6, 2025
  31. The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.