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Colorado · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Amendment 83: what your vote means

Constitutional right to hunt and fish. On every Colorado ballot. Official sources checked October 22, 2026.

Amendment 83 · Citizen-initiated constitutional amendment (needs 55% to pass)

Constitutional right to hunt and fish

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution creating a constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest fish and wildlife by traditional methods, including all species of fish and wildlife managed by the state except non-game species, endangered species, or any species that is illegal to hunt under federal law, and, in connection therewith, establishing hunting and fishing as the preferred means of managing fish and wildlife populations; and preserving the right of the state to regulate hunting, fishing, and wildlife management if necessary for sound scientific wildlife conservation and management, public safety, or to preserve the future of hunting and fishing opportunities for all species?

Ballot title as printed in the 2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book), Colorado Legislative Council Staff.

A YES vote means:

The Colorado Constitution would include a right to hunt and fish by traditional methods and would make hunting and fishing the preferred way to manage fish and wildlife populations, while the state could still regulate them.

A NO vote means:

Hunting and fishing continue as allowed under existing state and federal law.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: hunters, anglers, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
  • Scope: excludes non-game species, endangered species, and species illegal to hunt under federal law.
  • Taxes and fees: none.
  • Fiscal impact (Legislative Council Staff): no significant near-term change in state spending; possible legal costs if regulations are challenged, which cannot be estimated.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters say it gives lasting protection to hunting and fishing as part of Colorado’s heritage and economy, as 24 other states do, and notes that license revenue funds wildlife and habitat management.

Argument against

Opponents say the constitution should protect fundamental rights rather than recreational activities, that the language is vague, and that it could invite legal challenges to existing hunting, fishing, and trapping rules.

Arguments for and against Amendment 83, 2026 Blue Book, Colorado Legislative Council Staff (PDF, p. 22)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.

Who supports it

Who opposes it

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.