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

Proposition NN: what your vote means

Keep and spend money for education and other purposes. On every Colorado ballot. Official sources checked October 22, 2026.

Proposition NN · Referred statute placed on the ballot by the legislature (majority vote)

Keep and spend money for education and other purposes

Heads up: voting YES on this measure lets the state keep money it would otherwise refund to taxpayers; TABOR refunds would be eliminated for 2026-27 and 2027-28, according to Legislative Council Staff.

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

Shall state investment in K-12 public education increase two percent each year for the next ten years, with investments used to increase teacher pay, improve teacher retention, lower class sizes, and increase access to career and technical courses, without raising taxes but instead funded by raising the annual limit on state fiscal year spending only by the amount spent on public K-12 education as a voter-approved revenue change, and requiring an annual publicly released, independent audit to show how the new investments are spent?

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

A YES vote means:

The state could keep some or all of the revenue it would otherwise refund to taxpayers under TABOR, and spend it on K-12 education and programs that support children (and, after ten years, other purposes chosen by the legislature).

A NO vote means:

Current TABOR refunds continue, and funding for K-12 education and other state purposes stays at current levels.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: taxpayers who receive TABOR refunds, and K-12 schools and children’s programs.
  • Taxes and refunds: no tax rate change; Legislative Council Staff estimates TABOR refunds would be eliminated for budget years 2026-27 and 2027-28.
  • Fiscal impact (Legislative Council Staff): refunds reduced and state spending increased by about $329.9 million in 2026-27 and $521.0 million in 2027-28, with varying amounts later.
  • Accountability: the state auditor and school districts must report on how the retained money is spent.

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 redirects money the state already collects to raise teacher pay, reduce class sizes, expand career and technical education, and address rising early childhood costs.

Argument against

Opponents say it amounts to a tax increase by permanently reducing or eliminating TABOR refunds, and that the state should cut spending and use existing revenue more efficiently first.

Arguments for and against Proposition NN, 2026 Blue Book, Colorado Legislative Council Staff (PDF, p. 45)

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.