# 2024 Colorado Amendment 79

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vte :
2024 Colorado Amendment 79 was a constitutional amendment that appeared on the November 5, 2024 ballot. The amendment established a right to abortion in the Constitution of Colorado and repealed a constitutional ban on public funding for abortions. The amendment passed, surpassing the 55% supermajority vote required for the amendment to be approved.

## Text

In the Colorado Constitution, Article II is amended by the addition of a new section 32 as follows:
   The right to abortion is hereby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion.

## Background
### Colorado's abortion laws

In the 19th century, bans by state legislatures on abortion were about protecting the life of the mother given the number of deaths caused by abortions; state governments saw themselves as looking out for the lives of their citizens. Colorado's first ban on abortion was passed in 1861. It read:
   “[E]very person who shall administer substance or liquid, or who shall use or cause to be used any instrument, of whatsoever kind, with the intention to procure the miscarriage of any woman then being with child, and shall thereof be duly convicted, shall be imprisoned for a term not exceeding three years, and fined in a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars; and if any woman, by reason of such treatment, shall die, the person or persons administering, or causing to be administered, such poison, substance or liquid, or using or causing to be used, any instrument, as aforesaid, shall be deemed guilty of manslaughter, and if convicted, be punished accordingly.”
In 1967, Colorado decriminalized abortions in cases of rape, incest, or in which a pregnant woman would be permanently disabled as a result. Despite adopting what was considered a more progressive law, elective abortions were still illegal under state law.

### 1984 Colorado Amendment 3

In 1984, Colorado voters narrowly approved Amendment 3. The amendment effectively banned the usage of public funding for abortions except in certain circumstances. The amendment, which is still a part of the Constitution of Colorado, reads:
   "No public funds shall be used by the State of Colorado, its agencies or political subdivisions, to pay, or otherwise reimburse, either directly or indirectly, any person, agency, or facility for the performance of any induced abortion, PROVIDED HOWEVER, that the General Assembly, by specific bill, may authorize, and appropriate, funds to be used for those medical services necessary to prevent the death of either a pregnant woman or her unborn child under circumstances where every reasonable effort is made to preserve the life of each."

### Ballot measure submission

In 2023, Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, the group sponsoring the initiative, filed the amendment with Jena Griswold, the Colorado Secretary of State. The measure was approved for circulation on November 14, 2023. On April 18, 2024, the group submitted some 225,000 signatures, well over the 124,238 needed to gain ballot access. Griswold certified the signatures on May 17, 2024.

## Endorsements

U.S. Senators
* Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator from Colorado (2011-present) (Democrat)
* John Hickenlooper, U.S. Senator from Colorado (2021-present) (Democrat)
Statewide officials
* Phil Weiser, 39th Attorney General of Colorado (2019-present) (Democrat)
* Dave Young, 57th Treasurer of Colorado (2019-present) (Democrat)
U.S. Representatives
* Diana DeGette, U.S. representative from CO-1 (1997–present) (Democrat)
* Joe Neguse, U.S. representative from CO-2 (2019–present) (Democrat)
* Jason Crow, U.S. representative from CO-6 (2019–present) (Democrat)
* Brittany Pettersen, U.S. representative from CO-7 (2023–present) (Democrat)
* Yadira Caraveo, U.S. representative from CO-8 (2023–present) (Democrat)
State Senators
* 19 Democratic state senators
State Representatives
* 31 Democratic state representatives
Labor unions
* Colorado Education Association
* CWA Local 7799
* SEIU Local 105
* UCW-CWA 7799
Organizations
* Advocates for Youth
* ACLU of Colorado
* American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
* Anti-Defamation League Mountain States
* Catholics for Choice
* Center for Reproductive Rights
* Colorado Democratic Party
* Colorado Working Families Party
* Feminist Majority Foundation
* Freedom From Religion Foundation
* League of Women Voters of Colorado
* National Abortion Federation
* National Council of Jewish Women
* National Women's Law Center
* Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains
* Reproductive Health Access Project
* SIECUS
* Small Business Majority
State Representatives
* Brandi Bradley, state representative from the 39th district (2023–present) (Republican)
Organizations
* Colorado Catholic Conference
* Colorado Republican Party
* March for Life

## Results

Amendment 79 :
| Choice | Votes | % |
| Yes | 1,921,593 | 61.97 |
| No | 1,179,261 | 38.03 |
| Total votes | 3,100,854 | 100.00 |

### By county

| County | For | For | Against | Against | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Adams | 137,794 | 62.01% | 84,405 | 37.99% | 53,389 | 24.03% | 222,199 |
| Alamosa | 3,615 | 50.99% | 3,475 | 49.01% | 140 | 1.97% | 7,090 |
| Arapahoe | 206,611 | 65.36% | 109,490 | 34.64% | 97,121 | 30.72% | 316,101 |
| Archuleta | 4,625 | 51.59% | 4,340 | 48.41% | 285 | 3.18% | 8,965 |
| Baca | 472 | 24.62% | 1,445 | 75.38% | -973 | -50.76% | 1,917 |
| Bent | 883 | 41.77% | 1,231 | 58.23% | -348 | -16.46% | 2,114 |
| Boulder | 153,538 | 80.43% | 37,361 | 19.57% | 116,177 | 60.86% | 190,899 |
| Broomfield | 31,547 | 68.98% | 14,185 | 31.02% | 17,362 | 37.96% | 45,732 |
| Chaffee | 8,864 | 62.83% | 5,244 | 37.17% | 3,620 | 25.66% | 14,108 |
| Cheyenne | 217 | 21.11% | 811 | 78.89% | -594 | -57.78% | 1,028 |
| Clear Creek | 3,963 | 67.04% | 1,948 | 32.96% | 2,015 | 34.09% | 5,911 |
| Conejos | 1,526 | 38.26% | 2,462 | 61.74% | -936 | -23.47% | 3,988 |
| Costilla | 1,097 | 56.11% | 858 | 43.89% | 239 | 12.23% | 1,955 |
| Crowley | 613 | 36.95% | 1,046 | 63.05% | -433 | -26.10% | 1,659 |
| Custer | 1,528 | 40.38% | 2,256 | 59.62% | -728 | -19.24% | 3,784 |
| Delta | 8,124 | 42.76% | 10,877 | 57.24% | -2,753 | -14.49% | 19,001 |
| Denver | 283,105 | 80.80% | 67,286 | 19.20% | 215,819 | 61.59% | 350,391 |
| Dolores | 505 | 37.16% | 854 | 62.84% | -349 | -25.68% | 1,359 |
| Douglas | 129,390 | 54.49% | 108,063 | 45.51% | 21,327 | 8.98% | 237,453 |
| Eagle | 19,284 | 71.67% | 7,623 | 28.33% | 11,661 | 43.34% | 26,907 |
| El Paso | 193,839 | 51.98% | 179,080 | 48.02% | 14,759 | 3.96% | 372,919 |
| Elbert | 7,346 | 36.87% | 12,580 | 63.13% | -5,234 | -26.27% | 19,926 |
| Fremont | 10,907 | 43.67% | 14,067 | 56.33% | -3,160 | -12.65% | 24,974 |
| Garfield | 17,948 | 60.73% | 11,605 | 39.27% | 6,343 | 21.46% | 29,553 |
| Gilpin | 2,656 | 65.79% | 1,381 | 34.21% | 1,275 | 31.58% | 4,037 |
| Grand | 5,805 | 59.86% | 3,893 | 40.14% | 1,912 | 19.72% | 9,698 |
| Gunnison | 7,668 | 71.91% | 2,996 | 28.09% | 4,672 | 43.81% | 10,664 |
| Hinsdale | 322 | 54.67% | 267 | 45.33% | 55 | 9.34% | 589 |
| Huerfano | 2,327 | 54.08% | 1,976 | 45.92% | 351 | 8.16% | 4,303 |
| Jackson | 330 | 41.10% | 473 | 58.90% | -143 | -17.81% | 803 |
| Jefferson | 232,101 | 65.38% | 122,900 | 34.62% | 109,201 | 30.76% | 355,001 |
| Kiowa | 238 | 28.85% | 587 | 71.15% | -349 | -42.30% | 825 |
| Kit Carson | 980 | 27.54% | 2,579 | 72.46% | -1,599 | -44.93% | 3,559 |
| La Plata | 23,314 | 67.21% | 11,373 | 32.79% | 11,941 | 34.43% | 34,687 |
| Lake | 2,555 | 67.40% | 1,236 | 32.60% | 1,319 | 34.79% | 3,791 |
| Larimer | 140,284 | 64.09% | 78,593 | 35.91% | 61,691 | 28.19% | 218,877 |
| Las Animas | 3,828 | 51.10% | 3,663 | 48.90% | 165 | 2.20% | 7,491 |
| Lincoln | 847 | 33.68% | 1,668 | 66.32% | -821 | -32.64% | 2,515 |
| Logan | 3,448 | 34.96% | 6,416 | 65.04% | -2,968 | -30.09% | 9,864 |
| Mesa | 43,084 | 48.21% | 46,279 | 51.79% | -3,195 | -3.58% | 89,363 |
| Mineral | 389 | 53.80% | 334 | 46.20% | 55 | 7.61% | 723 |
| Moffat | 2,464 | 38.53% | 3,931 | 61.47% | -1,467 | -22.94% | 6,395 |
| Montezuma | 7,119 | 48.83% | 7,460 | 51.17% | -341 | -2.34% | 14,579 |
| Montrose | 10,815 | 43.18% | 14,231 | 56.82% | -3,416 | -13.64% | 25,046 |
| Morgan | 5,018 | 38.48% | 8,024 | 61.52% | -3,006 | -23.05% | 13,042 |
| Otero | 3,829 | 43.92% | 4,890 | 56.08% | -1,061 | -12.17% | 8,719 |
| Ouray | 2,642 | 65.87% | 1,369 | 34.13% | 1,273 | 31.74% | 4,011 |
| Park | 6,238 | 52.65% | 5,610 | 47.35% | 628 | 5.30% | 11,848 |
| Phillips | 641 | 28.65% | 1,596 | 71.35% | -955 | -42.69% | 2,237 |
| Pitkin | 8,797 | 82.01% | 1,930 | 17.99% | 6,867 | 64.02% | 10,727 |
| Prowers | 1,758 | 35.32% | 3,220 | 64.68% | -1,462 | -29.37% | 4,978 |
| Pueblo | 44,162 | 53.50% | 38,381 | 46.50% | 5,781 | 7.00% | 82,543 |
| Rio Blanco | 1,136 | 31.87% | 2,429 | 68.13% | -1,293 | -36.27% | 3,565 |
| Rio Grande | 2,652 | 43.83% | 3,399 | 56.17% | -747 | -12.35% | 6,051 |
| Routt | 11,623 | 72.72% | 4,360 | 27.28% | 7,263 | 45.44% | 15,983 |
| Saguache | 1,911 | 59.18% | 1,318 | 40.82% | 593 | 18.36% | 3,229 |
| San Juan | 395 | 73.69% | 141 | 26.31% | 254 | 47.39% | 536 |
| San Miguel | 3,771 | 81.08% | 880 | 18.92% | 2,891 | 62.16% | 4,651 |
| Sedgwick | 465 | 36.05% | 825 | 63.95% | -360 | -27.91% | 1,290 |
| Summit | 12,816 | 75.52% | 4,154 | 24.48% | 8,662 | 51.04% | 16,970 |
| Teller | 6,696 | 41.81% | 9,319 | 58.19% | -2,623 | -16.38% | 16,015 |
| Washington | 677 | 24.84% | 2,048 | 75.16% | -1,371 | -50.31% | 2,725 |
| Weld | 87,153 | 49.96% | 87,302 | 50.04% | -149 | -0.09% | 174,455 |
| Yuma | 1,298 | 28.62% | 3,238 | 71.38% | -1,940 | -42.77% | 4,536 |
| Total | 1,921,593 | 61.97% | 1,179,261 | 38.03% | 742,332 | 23.94% | 3,100,854 |

### By congressional district

"Yes" won all eight congressional districts, including four that elected Republicans.
| District | Yes | No | Representative |
| 1st | 81% | 19% | Diana DeGette |
| 2nd | 74% | 26% | Joe Neguse |
| 3rd | 54% | 46% | Lauren Boebert (118th Congress) |
| 3rd | 54% | 46% | Jeff Hurd (119th Congress) |
| 4th | 50.02% | 49.98% | Greg Lopez (118th Congress) |
| 4th | 50.02% | 49.98% | Lauren Boebert (119th Congress) |
| 5th | 52% | 48% | Doug Lamborn (118th Congress) |
| 5th | 52% | 48% | Jeff Crank (119th Congress) |
| 6th | 65% | 35% | Jason Crow |
| 7th | 64% | 36% | Brittany Pettersen |
| 8th | 58% | 42% | Yadira Caraveo (118th Congress) |
| 8th | 58% | 42% | Gabe Evans (119th Congress) |