Anti-slavery amendment passed, but faced resistance in rural Colorado
Coloradans had a rare opportunity to take a stand against slavery. Even in 2018, there are still holdouts.
The proposed constitutional amendment to abolish slavery as a criminal punishment received more than 765,000 votes against it. The likely reasons were a combination of misinformation, a lack of outreach in rural areas and a fear of going soft on crime. Despite passing, the opposition was widespread: the majority of voters in 26 counties opposed the constitutional amendment.
Our reach was very limited, said Kamau Allen, a spokesman for Abolish Slavery Colorado, the group that pushed the amendment. So we didnt have as many coalition people out there as we did at other locations in the state.
The measure, called Amendment A, had a straightforward purpose: Get rid of archaic language in the state constitution that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.
The amendment passed with 65 percent support statewide. Another 35 percent of voters rejected the amendment, according to Secretary of State results.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/11/09/slavery-abolished-colorado-election/amp/