By DAN JUNEAU

With the Nov. 5 elections just a few weeks away, much of the focus of voters and pundits has been on the hotly contested Congressional races that will determine if the Republicans or the Democrats control the House and Senate.

Less conspicuous on the ballots across the country will be the 200 or so ballot initiatives that seek to change laws in many states.

Ballot initiatives come from two sources. In 24 states, voters can place initiatives directly on the ballot.

In most states, the legislature must get ballot approval from the voters to make changes in their constitutions, and some states allow their legislatures the option of sending changes in statutes to the voters for approval.

Louisiana is not one of the 24 states that allow initiatives to be placed directly on the ballot by voters, but it is one of the leaders in the number of ballot proposals to be voted on Nov. 5.

A review of ballot initiatives in the last decade shows two clear trends. The number of initiatives nationwide is trending downward. At the same time, liberal ballot initiatives are gaining parity with conservative ones.

Initiatives and referenda found strong support among conservatives in many states during the last two decades, as movements to limit taxes and protect property rights found their way onto ballots. But now, proposals to increase government spending, increase health care benefits, raise minimum wages, place greater regulations on businesses, and promote liberal social agendas have many conservatives rethinking their support of ballot initiatives.

On Nov. 5, only Arizona and New Mexico have more ballot measures up for voter approval than Louisiana. All of Louisiana’s measures seek to amend the state’s constitution for various purposes.

The most notable constitutional amendments on the ballot here include the “Stelly Plan” that would swap some sales taxes for income taxes, and a proposal that would reverse changes made several years ago in how our legislative sessions are conducted.

As is often the case, western states have some of the most controversial propositions on the ballot. In Oregon, voters will decide if a massive “universal health care” proposal will become law. The initiative would significantly increase taxes in order to provide health insurance for thousands who are currently uninsured.

Oregon voters will also determine if strict new labeling laws will go into effect for food products that have been genetically altered to some degree.

Colorado and California – two states that are heavy users of ballot initiatives – have propositions that would allow same-day voter registration in those states. The proposals are being pushed strongly by civil rights groups who claim voter participation will be enhanced by the proposals.

Opponents claim the initiatives will lead to an administrative nightmare and an increase in voter fraud.

The decrease in the number of direct initiatives from voters over the last decade is an interesting political phenomenon. Citizen-initiated measures have fallen from 71 in 2000 to only 53 today.

In just the last two years, Oregon’s total has dropped from 18 to only seven on the November 5 ballot. Nationally, the total number of statewide ballot proposals has dropped from 235 in 1998, to 204 in 2000, to 200 this year.

These trends would indicate that voters’ fascination with initiative and referendum is starting to wane. The tendency of courts to declare ballot measures unconstitutional and the growing parity between liberal and conservative initiative forces may be the two leading factors in the decline of ballot propositions.

Cluttered ballots often confuse and irritate voters, enticing them to simply vote “No!” on all ballot propositions. With 12 measures on the ballot here in Louisiana, it will be interesting to see if the voters pick and choose carefully on Nov. 5 or simply say “No” to them all.

DAN JUNEAU is the president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.