2024 Colorado Amendment J
{{Short description|Proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution}}
{{infobox referendum
|name=Amendment J
|date=November 5, 2024
|country=Colorado
|title=Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution
|yes=1,982,200
|no=1,099,228
|total=3,081,428
| invalid =
| electorate = 4,058,938
| turnoutpct = 79.85
|notes=Source: Colorado Secretary of State{{cite web |title=Colorado 2024 General Election Results |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/CO/122598/web.345435/#/detail/4004 |access-date=12 November 2024 |publisher=Clarity Elections |date=2024}}
| map = 300px
| mapcaption = {{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
For
{{legend|#28497C|80–90% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#47729E|70–80% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#7D9CBB|60–70% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#B6C8D9|50–60% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{col-2}}
Against
{{legend|#8B8B54|70–80% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#BCBC83|60–70% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#DEDEBD|50–60% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{col-end}}
}}
{{ElectionsCO}}
2024 Colorado Amendment J is an amendment to the Colorado Constitution that appeared on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024, in Colorado. As it passed, the amendment repealed Amendment 43, a 2006 constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in the Constitution of Colorado. While Constitutional ballot measures typically require a 55% vote to pass in Colorado, Amendment J only needed a simple majority. This is because the 55% vote threshold only applies to proposed amendments adding to the Constitution, not those which repeal provisions from it.{{cite web |title=Here are the 14 questions on Colorado’s ballot this November |url=https://www.cpr.org/2024/09/03/colorado-ballot-questions-2024-ranked-choice-voting-abortion-big-cats-guns-marriage-education-justice/|date=September 17, 2024 |access-date=September 17, 2024 |author=Megan Verlee and Bente Birkeland |website=Colorado Public Radio}}
Background
{{Main|Same-sex marriage in Colorado}}
In 2006, Colorado voters passed Amendment 43 which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman within the State of Colorado. Same-sex marriage was illegal in Colorado prior to this, with the ballot measure simply moving the state's ban on same-sex marriage from state statue to the state Constitution. Following a 2014 decision by the Colorado Supreme Court, Attorney General John Suthers declared that County Clerks within the state could not deny couples marriage licenses on the basis of sex.{{cite web |title=Colorado AG: County Clerks Must Issue Gay Marriage Licenses |last=Alman |first=Ashley |date=October 7, 2014 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/colorado-gay-marriage_n_5946752 |access-date=September 17, 2024 |publisher=HuffPost}} On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled in the case Obergefell v. Hodges which struck down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. This made the text of Amendment 43 legally unenforceable. Following the 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization however, some groups in favor of same-sex marriage pushed to repeal Amendment 43 out of concern that the Obergefell v. Hodges decision could be overturned by the US Supreme Court as well.{{cite web |title=Colorado's constitution bans same-sex marriage. But voters may soon change that. |last=Albaladejo |first=Angelika |date=June 17, 2024 |url=https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/colorados-constitution-bans-same-sex-marriage-but-voters-may-soon-change-that |access-date=September 17, 2024 |publisher=KMGH-TV}}
On April 19, 2024, Senator Joann Ginal and Representatives Alex Valdez and Brianna Titone introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 24–003 to the Colorado General Assembly to refer the issue of the Constitutionality same-sex marriage to voters. The bill passed the Colorado Senate on a vote of 29 in favor to 5 opposed. All 23 Senate Democrats as well as 6 Republicans voted in favor, with all 5 no votes coming from Republicans. The bill then passed the Colorado House of Representatives with all Democrats voting in favor other than Regina English and all Republicans voting against other than Matt Soper and Rick Taggart.{{Cite web |title=SCR24-003 Protecting the Freedom to Marry |url=https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/scr24-003 |access-date=September 17, 2024 |publisher=Colorado General Assembly}} The bill was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on May 8, 2024, resulting in the amendment appearing on the November 2024 ballot. The amendment was passed by voters, removing language from the Colorado Constitution stating that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman.{{Cite web |last=Toomer |first=Lindsey |date=May 8, 2024 |title=Repeal of state Constitution’s same-sex marriage ban heads to voters with Gov. Polis’ signature |url=https://coloradonewsline.com/2024/05/08/repeal-same-sex-marriage-ban-colorado/ |access-date=September 17, 2024 |publisher=Colorado Newsline}}
| class="wikitable"
|+April 29, 2024 vote in the Colorado Senate | |||
| Political affiliation | style="width:20%;"| Voted for | style="width:20%;"| Voted against | Abstained/Not present |
|---|---|---|---|
| {{Color box|{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}}} Democratic Party
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |{{collapsible list |style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |title= 23 |1=Jeff Bridges |4=Lisa Cutter |6=Tony Exum |9=Joann Ginal |10=Julie Gonzales |11=Chris Hansen |12=Nick Hinrichsen |14=Chris Kolker |15=Janice Marchman |17=Kyle Mullica |18=Kevin Priola |19=Dylan Roberts |20=Robert Rodriguez |21=Tom Sullivan |22=Faith Winter |23=Rachel Zenzinger }} | - | - | |||
| {{color box|{{party color|Republican Party (US)}}}} Republican Party
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |{{collapsible list |style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |title=6 |1=Bob Gardner |3=Paul Lundeen |4=Janice Rich }} |{{collapsible list|title=5 |1=Mark Baisley |2=Byron Pelton |3=Rod Pelton |5=Perry Will }} |{{collapsible list|title=1 |1=Larry Liston }} | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | Total | {{Yes|29|align=center}} | style="text-align:center;" | 5 | style="text-align:center;" | 1 |
| class="wikitable"
|+May 4, 2024 vote in the Colorado House of Representatives | |||
| Political affiliation | style="width:20%;"| Voted for | style="width:20%;"| Voted against | Abstained/Not present |
|---|---|---|---|
| {{Color box|{{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}}} Democratic Party
| style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |{{collapsible list |style="background-color:#CCFFCC;" |title= 44 |1=Judy Amabile |3=Shannon Bird |5=Kyle Brown |7=Monica Duran |9=Meg Froelich |10=Lorena Garcia |11=Eliza Hamrick |12=Tim Hernández |13=Leslie Herod |14=Iman Jodeh |15=Junie Joseph |16=Chris Kennedy |17=Cathy Kipp |18=Sheila Lieder |19=Mandy Lindsay |21=Meghan Lukens |22=Javier Mabrey |23=Bob Marshall |24=Matthew Martinez |25=Julia Marvin |26=Tisha Mauro |27=Julie McCluskie |28=Karen McCormick |30=David Ortiz |31=Jennifer Parenti |32=Naquetta Ricks |33=Manny Rutinel |34=Emily Sirota |35=Marc Snyder |36=Tammy Story |37=Brianna Titone |38=Alex Valdez |40=Stephanie Vigil |41=Mike Weissman |42=Jenny Willford |43=Steven Woodrow |44=Mary Young }} |{{collapsible list|title=1 }} |{{collapsible list|title=1 }} | |||
| {{color box|{{party color|Republican Party (US)}}}} Republican Party
|{{collapsible list|title=2 |1=Matt Soper |2=Rick Taggart }} |style="background-color:#FFAEB9;" |{{collapsible list|style="background-color:#FFAEB9;"|title=13 |5=Marc Catlin |6=Ken DeGraaf |7=Lisa Frizell |10=Stephanie Luck |11=Mike Lynch |12=Don Wilson |13=Ty Winter }} |{{collapsible list|title=4 |2=Gabe Evans |4=Ron Weinberg }} | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | Total | {{Yes|46|align=center}} | style="text-align:center;" | 14 | style="text-align:center;" | 5 |
Contents
The amendment appeared on the ballot as follows:{{cite web |title=2024 State Ballot Information Booklet |url=https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/bluebook_english_2024.pdf |date=September 11, 2024 |access-date=September 17, 2024 |website=Colorado General Assembly}}
{{blockquote|text=Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution removing the ban on same-sex marriage?}}
Campaigns
=Support=
The campaign in favor of Amendment J was led by the organization Freedom to Marry Colorado.{{cite web |title=Amendments and Propositions on the 2024 Ballot |url=https://coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/Initiatives/ballot/contacts/2024.html |access-date=September 18, 2024 |author=Jena Griswold |publisher=Colorado Secretary of State}} Additionally, the official state voter guide offered the argument that marriage is a basic right for all Coloradans and the Colorado Constitution should protect that right regardless of one's sexuality, particularly if the right to same-sex marriage is overturned by the US Supreme Court.
{{Endorsements box
|list =
;Federal officials
- Michael Bennet, US Senator
- Diana DeGette, US Representative
- Joe Neguse, US Representative
- Jason Crow, US Representative
- Brittany Pettersen, US Representative
- Yadira Caraveo, US Representative
;State officials
;State senators
;State representatives
- Judy Amabile
- Jennifer Bacon
- Shannon Bird
- Kyle Brown
- Andrew Boesenecker
- Chad Clifford
- Lindsey Daugherty
- Monica Duran
- Meg Froelich
- Lorena Garcia
- Leslie Herod
- Junie Joseph
- Chris Kennedy
- Cathy Kipp
- Sheila Lieder
- Mandy Lindsay
- William Lindstedt
- Meghan Lukens
- Javier Mabrey
- Julie McCluskie
- Karen McCormick
- Emily Sirota
- Marc Snyder
- Tammy Story
- Brianna Titone
- Alex Valdez
- Stephanie Vigil
- Mike Weissman
- Jenny Willford
;Organizations
- ACLU Colorado
- ADL Mountain States
- The Center on Colfax
- Colorado AFL-CIO
- Colorado Education Association
- Colorado Democratic Party
- Colorado Working Families Party
- League of Women Voters of Colorado
- PFLAG Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley
- Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains
- SEIU Local 105
}}
=Opposition=
There was no major organized opposition to Amendment J. However, the official state voter guide offered as an argument that marriage should be between one man and one woman and if Obergefell v. Hodges is overturned, the Colorado Constitution should reflect that.
{{Endorsements box
|title = 'No'
|list =
;State representatives
- Scott Bottoms{{cite web |url=https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/2024/09/colorado-republican-party-briefly-supported-and-is-now-neutral-on-protecting-gay-marriage/64345/ |title=Colorado Republican Party Briefly Supported and is Now Neutral on Protecting Gay Marriage |date=September 13, 2024 |access-date=September 19, 2024 |first=Erik |last=Maulbetsch |publisher=Colorado Times Recorder}}
;Organizations
- Colorado Catholic Conference{{cite web |url=https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/12/vg-2024-amendment-j-same-sex-marriage-explainer// |title=Amendment J: Remove the state’s constitutional same-sex marriage ban, explained
|date=October 12, 2024 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |first=Bente |last=Birkeland |publisher=CPR News}}
}}
Results
On November 5, 2024, at 7:00 PM MT, polls in Colorado closed. Amendment J required a simple majority to pass. On the same night, at 8:50 PM MT, the Associated Press projected, with 63.6% in favor, the passage of Proposition 3.{{cite web |title=Amendment J Results: Colorado Same-Sex Marriage Ban |url=https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/05/amendment-j-results-colorado-same-sex-marriage-ban/ |website=The Colorado Sun |access-date=2024-11-12}} After all votes were tabulated, the Amendment passed with 64.3% in favor.
{{Referendum
| title = Amendment J
| yes = 1,982,200
| yespct = 64.33
| no = 1,099,228
| nopct = 35.67
| total =
|
}}
=Results by county=
| width="60%" class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| County
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| For ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Against ! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Margin ! style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| Total votes cast | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| #
! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| # ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| # ! style="text-align:center;" data-sort-type="number"| % | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Adams | 137,079 | 62.50% | 82,231 | 37.50% | 54,848 | 25.01% | 219,310 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Alamosa | 3,555 | 50.05% | 3,548 | 49.95% | 7 | 0.10% | 7,103 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Arapahoe | 209,491 | 66.73% | 104,437 | 33.27% | 105,054 | 33.46% | 313,928 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 4,681 | 52.67% | 4,207 | 47.33% | 474 | 5.33% | 8,888 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Baca |467 | 24.44% | 1,444 | 75.56% | -977 | -51.13% | 1,911 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Bent |779 | 36.75% | 1,341 | 63.25% | -562 | -26.51% | 2,120 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Boulder | 157,277 | 82.91% | 32,408 | 17.09% | 124,869 | 65.83% | 189,685 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 33,291 | 73.17% | 12,207 | 26.83% | 21,084 | 46.34% | 45,498 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Chaffee | 9,181 | 65.20% | 4,901 | 34.80% | 4,280 | 30.39% | 14,082 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Cheyenne |214 | 20.78% |816 | 79.22% | -602 | -58.45% | 1,030 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 4,077 | 69.76% | 1,767 | 30.24% | 2,310 | 39.53% | 5,844 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Conejos | 1,447 | 36.67% | 2,499 | 63.33% | -1,052 | -26.66% | 3,946 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Costilla |979 | 50.62% |955 | 49.38% | 24 | 1.24% | 1,934 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Crowley |551 | 33.60% | 1,089 | 66.40% | -538 | -32.80% | 1,640 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Custer | 1,580 | 42.13% | 2,170 | 57.87% | -590 | -15.73% | 3,750 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Delta | 8,636 | 45.48% | 10,352 | 54.52% | -1,716 | -9.04% | 18,988 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Denver | 284,747 | 81.57% | 64,316 | 18.43% | 220,431 | 63.15% | 349,063 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Dolores |500 | 36.85% |857 | 63.15% | -357 | -26.31% | 1,357 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Douglas | 143,288 | 60.60% | 93,175 | 39.40% | 50,113 | 21.19% | 236,463 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Eagle | 19,703 | 73.86% | 6,972 | 26.14% | 12,731 | 47.73% | 26,675 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| El Paso | 206,664 | 55.75% | 164,010 | 44.25% | 42,654 | 11.51% | 370,674 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Elbert | 8,281 | 41.65% | 11,603 | 58.35% | -3,322 | -16.71% | 19,884 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Fremont | 10,693 | 43.17% | 14,079 | 56.83% | -3,386 | -13.67% | 24,772 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Garfield | 18,314 | 62.37% | 11,048 | 37.63% | 7,266 | 24.75% | 29,362 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Gilpin | 2,783 | 68.92% | 1,255 | 31.08% | 1,528 | 37.84% | 4,038 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Grand | 5,936 | 61.64% | 3,694 | 38.36% | 2,242 | 23.28% | 9,630 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Gunnison | 7,748 | 72.80% | 2,895 | 27.20% | 4,853 | 45.60% | 10,643 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Hinsdale |304 | 52.60% |274 | 47.40% | 30 | 5.19% |578 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Huerfano | 2,158 | 50.93% | 2,079 | 49.07% | 79 | 1.86% | 4,237 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Jackson |291 | 36.79% |500 | 63.21% | -209 | -26.42% |791 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 244,903 | 69.41% | 107,952 | 30.59% | 136,951 | 38.81% | 352,855 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Kiowa |204 | 24.73% |621 | 75.27% | -417 | -50.55% |825 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 1,000 | 28.20% | 2,546 | 71.80% | -1,546 | -43.60% | 3,546 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| La Plata | 23,792 | 68.98% | 10,700 | 31.02% | 13,092 | 37.96% | 34,492 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Lake | 2,472 | 65.00% | 1,331 | 35.00% | 1,141 | 30.00% | 3,803 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Larimer | 146,123 | 67.13% | 71,534 | 32.87% | 74,589 | 34.27% | 217,657 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 3,532 | 47.74% | 3,866 | 52.26% | -334 | -4.51% | 7,398 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Lincoln |834 | 33.39% | 1,664 | 66.61% | -830 | -33.23% | 2,498 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Logan | 3,383 | 34.61% | 6,392 | 65.39% | -3,009 | -30.78% | 9,775 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Mesa | 44,569 | 50.19% | 44,237 | 49.81% | 332 | 0.37% | 88,806 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Mineral |372 | 52.10% |342 | 47.90% | 30 | 4.20% |714 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Moffat | 2,340 | 36.91% | 4,000 | 63.09% | -1,660 | -26.18% | 6,340 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 7,041 | 48.14% | 7,586 | 51.86% | -545 | -3.73% | 14,627 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Montrose | 10,691 | 43.03% | 14,153 | 56.97% | -3,462 | -13.93% | 24,844 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Morgan | 5,030 | 38.78% | 7,939 | 61.22% | -2,909 | -22.43% | 12,969 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Otero | 3,487 | 40.27% | 5,172 | 59.73% | -1,685 | -19.46% | 8,659 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Ouray | 2,739 | 68.19% | 1,278 | 31.81% | 1,461 | 36.37% | 4,017 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Park | 6,559 | 55.94% | 5,167 | 44.06% | 1,392 | 11.87% | 11,726 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Phillips |646 | 28.92% | 1,588 | 71.08% | -942 | -42.17% | 2,234 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Pitkin | 8,928 | 83.77% | 1,730 | 16.23% | 7,198 | 67.54% | 10,658 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Prowers | 1,670 | 33.79% | 3,273 | 66.21% | -1,603 | -32.43% | 4,943 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Pueblo | 41,641 | 50.83% | 40,284 | 49.17% | 1,357 | 1.66% | 81,925 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 1,154 | 32.59% | 2,387 | 67.41% | -1,233 | -34.82% | 3,541 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2,500 | 41.83% | 3,476 | 58.17% | -976 | -16.33% | 5,976 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Routt | 11,849 | 74.62% | 4,030 | 25.38% | 7,819 | 49.24% | 15,879 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Saguache | 1,869 | 58.52% | 1,325 | 41.48% | 544 | 17.03% | 3,194 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| San Juan |402 | 72.96% |149 | 27.04% | 253 | 45.92% |551 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| 3,771 | 81.85% |836 | 18.15% | 2,935 | 63.71% | 4,607 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Sedgwick |434 | 33.77% |851 | 66.23% | -417 | -32.45% | 1,285 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Summit | 13,411 | 79.37% | 3,485 | 20.63% | 9,926 | 58.75% | 16,896 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Teller | 7,143 | 44.80% | 8,802 | 55.20% | -1,659 | -10.40% | 15,945 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
|687 | 25.34% | 2,024 | 74.66% | -1,337 | -49.32% | 2,711 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Weld | 90,998 | 52.54% | 82,190 | 47.46% | 8,808 | 5.09% | 173,188 | |||||||
| style="text-align:center;"
| Yuma | 1,331 | 29.45% | 3,189 | 70.55% | -1,858 | -41.11% | 4,520 | |||||||
| Total | 1,982,200 | 64.33% | 1,099,228 | 35.67% | 882,972 | 28.65% | 3,081,428 |
See also
References
{{reflist|group=groupname}}
{{2024 United States elections|state=collapsed}}
Category:2024 Colorado ballot measures
Category:Amendments to the Constitution of Colorado
Category:Same-sex marriage ballot measures in the United States