An initiative that would allow people with terminal illnesses to get a prescription to end their lives has enough valid signatures and will be on the Colorado ballot.
The Colorado Secretary of State's Office announced Monday that the "Medical Aid in Dying" measure has a projected 108,777 valid signatures, based on a 5 percent random sample, well over the 98,492 signatures required by law.
To get a prescription to end their lives, people would need to be mentally capable and in the final stages of a terminal illness, as diagnosed by a doctor. They would also need to make three separate requests over a period of time to ensure they weren't acting rashly.
The measure is opposed by advocates for people with disabilities who fear it could be abused and that some people would face coercion from family members because their care is too expensive.
This is the third citizen-backed initiative to be confirmed for the ballot. The other two are Colorado Care, which would establish a single-payer universal healthcare system paid for with a 10 percent payroll tax, and a minimum wage increase to $12.50.
There are six more to go, including initiatives related to presidential primaries, fracking, tobacco taxes and whether it's too easy to get an initiative on the ballot.
