You don’t have to be a rocket science to figure out the Nov. 5 ballot in Colorado. A college degree, however, would help.

Propositions CC and DD are “very difficult” to understand, says their readability index.

Proposition CC would let the state keep refunds granted by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to fund schools and education.

Proposition DD would legalize sports betting by putting a tax on it. A projected $29 million would flow into the state water plan.

The wonky legalese landing in mailboxes this week isn’t quite so clear.

Gambling.com pointed out Monday that Proposition DD scored so poorly on the Flesch Kincaid Grade Level Calculator it would require a college degree to decipher.

“With just a few weeks before the Nov. 5 Colorado election, even would-be legal sports bettors are having trouble understanding just what they’re voting on,” wrote Ryan Butler for the Gambling.com website on Monday.

Proposition CC scored just as poorly, according to the calculator.

Granted, Colorado is one of the country’s best-educated states. More than 47% of adults have education beyond K-12.

Blame the politicians.

Both measures were written and referred to the ballot by the legislature last spring.

Language matters, especially to unengaged voters.

In 2016, removing a reference to slavery in the state constitution failed by less than half a percentage point.

Amendment T’s loss was attributed to confusing language. 

Legislators voted unanimously to refer the measure to the ballot, asking, “Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning the removal of the exception to the prohibition of slavery and involuntary servitude when used as punishment for persons duly convicted of a crime?”

Amendment T also needed a college degree.

But the same was true last year when Amendment A passed with more than 66% support.

Voters were asked a more straightforward question: “Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution that prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime and thereby prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude in all circumstances?”

For what it’s worth, Flesch Kincaid rated this blog “plain English,” which could be understood by an eighth-grader.