Thanks to the efforts of thousands of dedicated pro-lifers, Personhood Colorado has collected and submitted enough signatures to put the Colorado Personhood Amendment up for a vote. Assuming enough signatures are verified by the state, the amendment will appear on the ballot for voters to decide in the November elections.
The amendment would change the state constitution to apply the term “person” to “every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being.” Unborn children would thus get the same right to life that born persons enjoy, effectively outlawing abortion.
Assuming the signatures are verified, the amendment will be placed on the ballot as an initiative for voters to approve or deny.
Personhood Colorado led the campaign to gather the 76,047 signatures of registered voters required to get an initiative on the ballot. The organization submitted 79,817 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State.
Thousands of pro-life volunteers worked tirelessly for weeks, gathering signatures without pay. The campaign had no paid staff members.
“We are thrilled with these results. These signatures represent thousands of hours of hard work,” remarked Gualberto Garcia-Jones, co-sponsor of the amendment. “All of our volunteers are 100% committed to seeing that the dignity and personhood of preborn babies is recognized in Colorado, and it shows.”
As with any signature campaign to get a proposition on the ballot, some signatures will be deemed invalid because they are not from legally registered voters. Should 3,771 signatures be thrown out, putting the campaign below the 76,047 threshold, pro-lifers will have an additional 15 days to gather more signatures.
Colorado had a similar amendment on the ballot in the 2008 election that was rejected. But pro-lifers certainly have not quit and have no intention of doing so.
“Our grassroots, volunteer campaign will continue to be a success, because we are working towards a very worthy cause — protecting the lives of innocent Colorado citizens,” Garcia-Jones said. “The 79,817 signatures are an indicator that the people of Colorado are determined to protect innocent life; we will not rest until every child is protected by love and by law.”
Personhood movements are underway in several other states for the November election, including Florida, California, Montana, Mississippi, and Missouri.
FOLLOW UP: Personhood will appear on the Colorado ballot in November.
