City and County of Denver Initiated Ordinance 311 — Ban on force-feeding birds and sale of force-fed products (foie gras) (Denver County)

What it does

Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance prohibiting the force-feeding of birds and, in connection therewith, prohibiting the sale of products derived from force-feeding birds, including foie gras?

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

Official text: source

Background

This is a citizen-initiated ordinance sponsored by Pro-Animal Colorado; Ballotpedia News reported that the Denver Elections Division determined on December 23, 2025 that the petition had enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot.

It would prohibit force-feeding birds in Denver, with an exemption for licensed veterinarians, and prohibit the sale of products from force-fed birds, including foie gras, according to the measure text in the city's ballot information booklet.

The booklet's fiscal information says the Department of Finance does not anticipate any fiscal impact, and that the Department of Public Health and Environment believes any added workload could be absorbed by existing staff; no written comments against the measure were submitted to the booklet.

Put on the ballot by Citizen initiative petition (Pro-Animal Colorado); signatures found sufficient by the Denver Elections Division, December 23, 2025 (per Ballotpedia News).

From official source.

In the news

• Voters in Washington, D.C., and Denver, Colorado, will decide on foie gras ban ballot initiatives in November · Ballotpedia News, 2026-08-06

Next elections here

• Denver election 2027 · April 6, 2027: Mayor, Auditor, Clerk and Recorder, and all 13 City Council seats
• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on Denver County ballots

• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2H — Charter amendment: Auditor enforcement of wage and worker-protection laws
• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2I — Charter amendment: budget and appropriation process (two-year budget option)
• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2J — Charter amendment: Civil Service Commission and Department of Safety
• City and County of Denver Referred Question 2K — Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado) 20-year franchise

All Denver County races and measures →

Quick answers

How many votes does City and County of Denver Initiated Ordinance 311 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City and County of Denver Initiated Ordinance 311?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.