Gore also may be hurt by ballot measures in Washington and Oregon that would ban animal traps and poison, likely bringing out a large constituency of animal rights supporters, Schecter said. These people could throw their support behind the more liberal Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, siphoning off votes that might otherwise go to Gore, while the states large hunting population would be inclined to support Bush, he said. The National Rifle Association, a frequent supporter of the Republican Party, is trying hard to defeat the measure, he said. However, an English-only measure on the Arizona state ballot that would outlaw bilingual education should help Gore, Schecter said. Had supporters of a Florida initiative to ban affirmative action been successful in getting it on the November ballot, it could have seriously damaged George Bush s chances in that state.
Some swing states have no initiatives on the ballot.
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota, for example, do not allow initiatives, and Illinois, which does, has none this time. Elsewhere, a Nevada initiative outlawing same-sex marriages could draw conservatives to the polls, while another measure legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes could attract liberals, Schecter said. In Ohio, an initiative authorizing the state to pay for environmental protection could help Gore slightly, he said.