The 12 ballot measures deal with emotional, controversial issues – like same-sex marriage, abortion, and the treatment of animals.  But President of the Public Policy Institute of California Mark Baldassare says the economy is issue number one.  And he says the huge interest in this election may not be translating to the ballot measures: 
 
“It only means something for the measures on the ballot if people can resonate with those measures and get a sense that those measures relate to issues that matter to them, and right now I think people are struggling to find issues that matter a lot to them.” 
 

Baldassare says we could see a record turnout this election.  He says often when voters are so dissatisfied with the direction of the state and the nation they don’t show up – but this year he says it’s driving them to the ballot.   He says if there was an economic stimulus ballot measure – that would certainly interest a lot of voters right now.