Colorado Medical Aid in Dying Initiative (2018)
| Colorado Medical Aid in Dying Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Assisted death | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Colorado Medical Aid in Dying Initiative did not qualify to appear on the ballot in Colorado as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.
The measure would have established a constitutional right to obtain a medical professional's assistance in setting the timing of one's death.[1]
Support
Lance Wright and Brandon Davis of Denver, Colorado, submitted the initiative for review and comment.[1]
Background
In 2016, Colorado approved Proposition 106, an initiated state statute making assisted death legal among patients with a terminal illness who receive a prognosis of death within six months.[2]
Path to the ballot
Lance Wright and Brandon Davis submitted the initiative to the Colorado Legislative Counsel for review and comment on November 8, 2016. On November 22, the counsel offered comments.[1] Compliance with these recommendations was not required. The next step was for proponents to submit a draft to the Colorado secretary of state, who would have then convened a title board to evaluate whether the initiative met the single-subject rule and write a ballot title. Wright and Davis did not submit the measure to the secretary of state, and, therefore, the initiative did not move forward in the process.
The number of signatures required for a successful petition is equal to 5 percent of the total number of votes cast for the office of secretary of state in the last general election. The same number of signatures is required for constitutional amendments, statutes, and referendums. In 2018, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment was 98,492. Due to the passage of Amendment 71 in November 2016, signatures equivalent to at least 2 percent of the registered electors who reside in the state's 35 senate districts also needed to be part of the total.
In Colorado, petitioners have six months to collect signatures after the ballot language and title are finalized. The Colorado Constitution says that signatures must be filed three months before the election at which the measure would appear. In 2018, three months before the November election was August 6.
See also
External links
Footnotes
 |
State of Colorado Denver (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
