Voters handily pass Amendments Y, Z

Voters passed two ballot measures Tuesday aimed at overhauling the state’s redistricting system and giving unaffiliated voters a stronger voice.

The measures, which needed 55 percent support to pass, each had strong support. Amendment Y had 71.3 percent of voters supporting it, with 74 percent of the vote tallied. Amendment Z had 70.9 percent of the voters supporting it, with 73 percent of the vote tallied late Tuesday night.

Amendments Y and Z will change the state’s constitution to put independent commissions in charge of how Colorado draws boundaries for congressional and legislative districts every decade. The amendments were pitched to voters as a way of taking the politics and partisanship out of redistricting. Without the amendments, elected officials and political insiders have more influence in redistricting.

The next round of redistricting will come after the 2020 census. With Colorado’s population rapidly growing, the state is expected to pick up at least one congressional seat.

Fair Maps Colorado pushed the ballot measures with broad support from elected officials and ideologically diverse organizations. Among them: Gov. John Hickenlooper, former governors from both parties, the ACLU, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank.

Redistricting unfolds on two fronts: congressional districts and state legislative districts. Amendment Y is for congressional redistricting and Amendment Z is for legislative redistricting.

Each amendment calls for a 12member commission to oversee the redrawing of district lines. Each commission would have four unaffiliated voters, four Republicans and four Democrats. For any map to pass, it would need support from a supermajority of eight commission members with at least two unaffiliated voters.

The amendments also put a focus on drawing districts to be as competitive as possible.