Colorado and North Carolina Voters Decide High-Stakes Tax Measures

Voters in Colorado and North Carolina are deciding on several high-stakes constitutional amendments and ballot measures in late October and early November 2026. In Colorado, spending on issue campaigns has exceeded $47 million, putting the state on pace for its highest ballot-measure spending since 2020.

Colorado voters are weighing Amendment 87, which would replace the 4.4% flat income tax with a graduated system reaching 8.4% for high earners, and Proposition NN, which seeks to increase K-12 education funding by $500 million annually by weakening the Taxpayer Bill of Rights spending cap. To counter these, Proposition 136 proposes a legal cap of 4.4% on income tax rates. Other Colorado measures include Amendment 84, which requires additional identification for mail ballots, and Propositions 134 and 135, which target transgender youth sports and healthcare.

Simultaneously, North Carolina voters are deciding on three constitutional amendments. These include a requirement for photo identification for all voting, a proposal to cap the state income tax rate at 3.5%, and a measure authorizing the state legislature to cap annual property tax increases by cities and counties. While supporters of the property tax cap argue it protects homeowners, opponents warn it could restrict funding for public services and local governance.