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Abstract
Many U.S. states have been considering proposals to introduce mandatory labeling requirements
for foods containing GMOs. This paper analyzes precinct-level voting patterns in the case of
California’s Proposition 37, which was narrowly defeated in the November 2012 ballot. Those
voting patterns can be predicted primarily by support for Democrats, their platforms, and President
Obama. Projections using our estimated model imply that a majority of voters in only three of
fifty states (Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont) plus the District of Columbia would have passed
Proposition 37 had it been on their ballots in 2012.