Some Colorado Ballot Questions Still Unknown – by Ark Valley Voice Staff

The votes are still straggling in from some Colorado counties that would allow the state to put an endpoint on several ballot questions, while on other ballot questions, whatever remains still uncounted won’t change the outcome.

Michelle Cunningham, Buena Vista School District School Counselor handing out lunches to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, to make sure that students didn’t go hungry. Photo by Jan Wondra

• Amendment E (which would extend the senior exemption from state property tax for the surviving spouse of a veteran who dies from a service-related injury) passed overwhelmingly with 67 percent of the vote.
• Proposition FF Healthy Meals for Colorado school kids passed with a comfortable margin: 55.1 percent to 44.9 percent.
• The majority of Coloradans agreed with Proposition 121 — which lowered their state income tax, passing it 65.9  percent to 34.1 percent.
• On the state-wide affordable housing ballot question Proposition 123, the margin is a narrow 27,000 votes at the moment, with 50.7 percent of the votes in favor and 49.3 percent of votes against it.

How Coloradans voted on the three alcohol issues on the ballot this year is still unknown:

• Voters overwhelmingly rejected one measure that would have allowed small liquor stores the ability to operate an unlimited number of locations.
• They also appear to have shot down the ballot question permitting third-party companies like Instacart to deliver alcohol to your home (shades of young adults not yet allowed to drink may have hovered in the background of this vote.)
• A third vote, Proposition 125 which would allow wine to be sold at grocery and convenience stores, is not just trailing in a vote, but still too close to call; yes votes account for 49.9 percent,  and no votes stand at 50.1.