Colorado ballot

Colorado is one of two dozen states where residents can collect signatures to put questions directly onto ballots. But some political observers worry that the cost of gathering those signatures puts special interest groups with deep funding ahead of grassroots organizations.

Initiative 232 was brought by the conservative political nonprofit Advance Colorado and seeks to derail a push by liberal groups to pass a separate graduated income tax ballot measure this year.

The high cost of getting a measure on the ballot has given wealthy interests more power to push their agendas.