Three child protection initiatives backed by CatholicVote qualify for Colorado’s 2026 ballot

Three statewide ballot initiatives focused on parental and children’s rights — and backed by CatholicVote in partnership with Protect Kids Colorado — have qualified for Colorado’s November 2026 ballot after clearing the state’s signature threshold. 

The measures aim to protect children from human trafficking, ensure girls do not have to compete against male athletes in school sports, and prohibit invasive medical procedures intended to alter a child’s sexual characteristics. The measures are as follows: 

• Initiative 108: Penalties for Trafficking of a Human Minor, which would increase penalties for trafficking a minor, including raising the maximum sentence for the crime to life in prison without parole or release. 

• Initiative 109: Concerning Male and Female Participation in School Sports, which states that males and females “possess unique and immutable biological differences” and is designed to prohibit “transgender” males from competing in female sports. It would require school sports to explicitly be designated as either male, female, or co-ed. 

• Initiative 110: Prohibiting Surgery for Minors for the Purpose of Altering the Minor’s Biological Sex Characteristics, which would ban medical providers from performing or prescribing any surgery intended to alter a child’s biological sex characteristics. It would also prohibit the use of state and federal funding for such interventions.

Protect Kids Colorado — which describes itself as a “broad coalition of parents, grandparents and concerned citizens” advocating for children and families in Colorado — led the petition effort. The group said on its website it submitted about 170,000 valid signatures for each initiative, well above the 124,238 required to qualify a measure for Colorado’s statewide ballot. Executive Director Erin Lee announced in a March 17 social media post that all three initiatives had qualified. 

“This didn’t happen because it was easy — it happened because YOU showed up,” Lee wrote, thanking supporters across the state.

In a video message, she said the organization is now shifting into campaign mode and urged all Coloradans to “vote on these three very important, commonsense issues” in November. 

CatholicVote — which partnered with Protect Kids Colorado — also played a key role in organizing support for the initiatives. In its annual report, CatholicVote noted that it helped distribute petition packets in more than 75% of Catholic parishes across Colorado. In January, CatholicVote co-hosted a public signing event supporting the initiatives. President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt attended and also spoke at a separate January women’s event promoting Initiative 109.

Colorado’s Catholic bishops issued a direct appeal to the faithful in August 2025 to help place the three measures on the ballot. CatholicVote Vice President Josh Mercer applauded the news, praising Catholics across Colorado for answering “the call from their bishops to gather signatures to get three critical initiatives on the statewide ballot this year.” 

“Now comes the hard work of convincing friends, family, neighbors, and parishioners to support these three ballot initiatives,” Mercer said. “Catholics in Colorado have the opportunity to correct recent state laws that erode parental rights, conscience protections, and the safety of children.”