Are Ballot Propositions Spilling Over onto Candidate Elections?


 

Publication Date: October 2006

Publisher:

Author(s): Jeffrey R. Makin

Research Area: Politics

Keywords: ballot propositions; electoral influences; voter mobilization

Type: Report

Abstract:

Ballot propositions are increasingly viewed as a way to influence candidate elections. The best known example is Ohio in 2004, where many believe a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage helped George W. Bush win the state, and thus the presidency. When ballot propositions influence candidate elections, we see what is called a ballot proposition spillover. This report reviews the existing scholarly research on ballot proposition spillovers, and highlights possible spillovers.