2024 referendum
2024 Colorado Amendment I was a proposed amendment to the Colorado Constitution that appeared on the general election ballot on November 5, 2024, in Colorado . The measure allows judges to deny bail to individuals accused of first degree murder in cases where there is enough evidence for the judge to presume the defendant will eventually be convicted. As the ballot measure modified the state Constitution, it required a 55% majority to pass.[ 1]
In 2020, the Colorado General Assembly abolished the death penalty within the state. Since Colorado law only allows denial of bail for capital offenses, abolishing the death penalty inadvertently removed the ability of judges in the state to deny bail. This was made official by the Colorado Supreme Court decision People v. Smith . This led to bipartisan calls to restore the ability of judges to deny bail when "proof is evident or presumtion is great".[ 2]
On February 8, 2024, Representatives Monica Duran and Mike Lynch and Senators Rhonda Fields and Bob Gardner introduced House Concurrent Resolution 24-1002 to refer the issue of creating an exemption for the right to bail in suspected cases of first degree murder to voters. The bill passed the Colorado House of Representatives with bipartisan support and was then passed by the Colorado Senate unanimously.[ 3]
The amendment appeared on the ballot as follows:[ 4]
Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning creating an exception to the right to bail for cases of murder in the first degree when proof is evident or presumption is great?
Amendment I required a 55% majority to pass. It was approved by voters with roughly two-thirds voting in favor of the amendment.[ 5]
Amendment I Choice Votes % Yes 2,058,063 68.34 No 953,652 31.66
County For Against Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Adams 138,772 64.11% 77,684 35.89% 61,088 28.22% 216,456 Alamosa 4,346 61.83% 2,683 38.17% 1,663 23.66% 7,029 Arapahoe 209,355 68.12% 97,989 31.88% 111,366 36.23% 307,344 Archuleta 5,926 68.09% 2,777 31.91% 3,149 36.18% 8,703 Baca 973 51.05% 933 48.95% 40 2.10% 1,906 Bent 1,245 59.57% 845 40.43% 400 19.14% 2,090 Boulder 135,076 74.04% 47,350 25.96% 87,726 48.09% 182,426 Broomfield 32,609 73.46% 11,782 26.54% 20,827 46.92% 44,391 Chaffee 9,411 68.77% 4,273 31.23% 5,138 37.55% 13,684 Cheyenne 592 58.33% 423 41.67% 169 16.65% 1,015 Clear Creek 3,907 68.17% 1,824 31.83% 2,083 36.35% 5,731 Conejos 2,102 53.51% 1,826 46.49% 276 7.03% 3,928 Costilla 1,018 54.06% 865 45.94% 153 8.13% 1,883 Crowley 1,017 61.97% 624 38.03% 393 23.95% 1,641 Custer 2,608 70.35% 1,099 29.65% 1,509 40.71% 3,707 Delta 12,284 65.87% 6,366 34.13% 5,918 31.73% 18,650 Denver 228,711 67.84% 108,423 32.16% 120,288 35.68% 337,134 Dolores 812 61.01% 519 38.99% 293 22.01% 1,331 Douglas 170,991 73.64% 61,197 26.36% 109,794 47.29% 232,188 Eagle 17,676 68.43% 8,153 31.57% 9,523 36.87% 25,829 El Paso 248,991 68.71% 113,403 31.29% 135,588 37.41% 362,394 Elbert 13,537 68.79% 6,141 31.21% 7,396 37.59% 19,678 Fremont 16,029 65.29% 8,521 34.71% 7,508 30.58% 24,550 Garfield 19,154 66.54% 9,631 33.46% 9,523 33.08% 28,785 Gilpin 2,751 69.45% 1,210 30.55% 1,541 38.90% 3,961 Grand 6,199 65.99% 3,195 34.01% 3,004 31.98% 9,394 Gunnison 7,233 70.70% 2,998 29.30% 4,235 41.39% 10,231 Hinsdale 391 69.08% 175 30.92% 216 38.16% 566 Huerfano 2,666 63.72% 1,518 36.28% 1,148 27.44% 4,184 Jackson 453 58.00% 328 42.00% 125 16.01% 781 Jefferson 244,135 70.75% 100,932 29.25% 143,203 41.50% 345,067 Kiowa 494 59.88% 331 40.12% 163 19.76% 825 Kit Carson 2,180 61.97% 1,338 38.03% 842 23.93% 3,518 La Plata 23,136 69.55% 10,130 30.45% 13,006 39.10% 33,266 Lake 2,332 63.66% 1,331 36.34% 1,001 27.33% 3,663 Larimer 149,115 70.39% 62,731 29.61% 86,384 40.78% 211,846 Las Animas 4,367 59.87% 2,927 40.13% 1,440 19.74% 7,294 Lincoln 1,524 61.03% 973 38.97% 551 22.07% 2,497 Logan 6,004 62.18% 3,652 37.82% 2,352 24.36% 9,656 Mesa 55,998 64.01% 31,480 35.99% 24,518 28.03% 87,478 Mineral 448 63.82% 254 36.18% 194 27.64% 702 Moffat 3,710 59.36% 2,540 40.64% 1,170 18.72% 6,250 Montezuma 9,283 64.67% 5,072 35.33% 4,211 29.33% 14,355 Montrose 16,030 65.54% 8,428 34.46% 7,602 31.08% 24,458 Morgan 7,918 61.47% 4,964 38.53% 2,954 22.93% 12,882 Otero 5,249 60.99% 3,357 39.01% 1,892 21.98% 8,606 Ouray 2,739 70.34% 1,155 29.66% 1,584 40.68% 3,894 Park 8,049 69.48% 3,536 30.52% 4,513 38.96% 11,585 Phillips 1,324 60.48% 865 39.52% 459 20.97% 2,189 Pitkin 7,733 75.89% 2,457 24.11% 5,276 51.78% 10,190 Prowers 2,866 58.68% 2,018 41.32% 848 17.36% 4,884 Pueblo 46,719 57.53% 34,489 42.47% 12,230 15.06% 81,208 Rio Blanco 2,042 58.29% 1,461 41.71% 581 16.59% 3,503 Rio Grande 3,659 61.57% 2,284 38.43% 1,375 23.14% 5,943 Routt 10,644 69.21% 4,735 30.79% 5,909 38.42% 15,379 Saguache 1,956 62.53% 1,172 37.47% 784 25.06% 3,128 San Juan 370 70.48% 155 29.52% 215 40.95% 525 San Miguel 2,919 66.46% 1,473 33.54% 1,446 32.92% 4,392 Sedgwick 753 59.67% 509 40.33% 244 19.33% 1,262 Summit 11,549 70.90% 4,739 29.10% 6,810 41.81% 16,288 Teller 11,101 70.54% 4,636 29.46% 6,465 41.08% 15,737 Washington 1,582 58.81% 1,108 41.19% 474 17.62% 2,690 Weld 110,337 64.72% 60,147 35.28% 50,190 29.44% 170,484 Yuma 2,963 66.12% 1,518 33.88% 1,445 32.25% 4,481 Total 2,058,063 68.34% 953,652 31.66% 1,104,411 36.67% 3,011,715
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