Make up my mind for me

National | Risk-averse legislatures increasingly are leaving controversial issues to a vote of the people. At the state level next week, citizens will make policy on school vouchers, gay rights, abortion, and gambling; voters specially mobilized for and against those causes may make the difference in the presidential contest. A rundown of what's at stake, and where | Bob Jones

If you plan to vote in Massachusetts next week, you might want to take the day off. Eight referenda, covering everything from dog racing to voting rights, are being squeezed onto the ballot in extra-small type. Question 8, dealing with drug treatment, requires six paragraphs of explanation. Question 5, a health-care measure, lists 17 provisions. Thanks to the complexity and sheer volume of the initiatives, some absentee voters have taken up to 45 minutes to complete their ballots.

Welcome to the politics of the 21st century. Fearful of taking controversial positions, many state legislatures are increasingly choosing to punt, asking the voters of their states to make the tough calls. In other cases, a handful of activists simply take over the process, collecting enough signatures to force their pet issues onto the ballot. The result: 24 states voting on more than 70 ballot questions ranging from the trivial to the truly historic.