Examining Individual-Level Voting Behavior on State Ballot Propositions

Abstract

The intent of this study is to provide a broad examination of individual-level voting behavior on ballot propositions. This study seeks to extend the existing research on voting behavior in ballot elections in two ways: first, by examining a large number of issues across numerous states and second, by examining the “general” factors associated with voting choice. To examine individual-level voting behavior on state ballot initiative, I rely on Voter News Service (VNS) state-level exit poll surveys from three election periods (1992-1996). Overall, this study casts some light on the relationships between individual attributes and voting choices on different types of ballot propositions. The results generated herein lend support for expectation that there are some consistent patterns in voting behavior on ballot initiatives. Notably, the results indicate that individual-level party identification is consistently related to voting behavior across each of the various types of ballot propositions.