High-profile ballot measures — like the abortion rights, sports gambling and minimum-wage proposals that will be placed on the November ballot in Missouri — can drive voter turnout.
Republicans used Defense of Marriage Amendments in 2004 to bolster George W. Bush’s re-election campaign — according to Greg Vonnahme, an associate professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Tod Palmer, KSHB 41It worked, but don’t expect a Blue Wave driven by these ballot measures in the Show-Me State.
“In Missouri, we’re not really expecting many of the statewide seats to be that competitive, so whether or not that is going to help statewide Democrats win any of those seats? Probably not,” Vonnahme said. “The races may be closer than they otherwise would be.”
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any potential impact. Vonnahme said more localized races could see a bump that favors candidates who support the ballot measures.