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The Colorado Capitol News Alliance is a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, with support from news outlets throughout the state. Startup funding for the Alliance was provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Purplish: ‘The Great Colorado Ballot-O-Rama’ Part II

Managing Editor at KUNC and the Colorado Capitol News Alliance Kyle McKinon sits in the hot seat as Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul and CPR News reporter Bente Birkeland ask him questions about various ballot measures at the Buell Public Media Center in Denver. Aug. 24, 2026.
Kevin J. Beaty
/
Denverite
Managing Editor at KUNC and the Colorado Capitol News Alliance Kyle McKinon sits in the hot seat as Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Paul and CPR News reporter Bente Birkeland ask him questions about various ballot measures at the Buell Public Media Center in Denver. Aug. 24, 2026.

We pick things up right where we left off with Purplish live: “The Great Colorado Ballot-O-Rama.”

This week three more reporters sweat it out in the host seat, breaking down tricky ballot measures on topics like penalties for fentanyl crimes, social issues and ballot questions about ballots. Plus, a bonus round and the ultimate burning question: who will be named the hot seat champion?

Have more questions about the ballot?

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Startup funding for the Alliance was provided, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. Public affairs editor is Nicole Vap. The theme music is by Brad Turner. Other music in this episode comes from Universal Production Music. Megan Verlee is CPR News’ executive producer of podcasts.

Some special shout outs to Rocky Mountain PBS’ Mark Montour-Larson, Sarah Newberry and the entire tech team. Also thanks to CPR’s Brittany Werges, Cayla Montoya-Manzo and Hazel Feldstein, and all of the CCNA reporters who took the heat during the event: CPR’s Dan Boyce, The Colorado Sun’s Jennifer Brown, KUNC’s Kyle McKinnon and CPR’s John Daley.

Editor’s note: Once the ballot is set, many of these numbers will change. So while we talk about ballot initiatives like 85 during the live event, the corresponding number you see on your ballot will be different as it becomes a proposition or amendment. But the core issues reporters discussed from the hot seat remain the same.

Bente Birkeland is an award-winning journalist who joined Colorado Public Radio in August 2018 after a decade of reporting on the Colorado state capitol for the Rocky Mountain Community Radio collaborative and KUNC. In 2017, Bente was named Colorado Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and she was awarded with a National Investigative Reporting Award by SPJ a year later.
Jesse Paul is a Denver-based political reporter and editor at The Colorado Sun, covering the state legislature, Congress and local politics. He is the author of The Unaffiliated newsletter and also occasionally fills in on breaking news coverage.