国际英语新闻：U.S. voters weigh local issues as Election Day draws near

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- American voters are busy weighing local issues this weekend to decide their positions on many state ballot measures, as they prepare to vote Tuesday in the presidential election.

    There are a total of 143 ballot measures collectively in 36 states this year, including 84 legislative referenda and 59 citizen initiatives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a non-governmental organization which provides information about state legislatures across the country.

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama shakes hands at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, October 31, 2008

For many voters, it would certainly be more difficult to decide yes or no over a long list of controversial local issues than to choose either the first African American President or the first female vice president in U.S. history.

    Although there is no overriding theme this year, social, energy and environmental issues are mostly among those that voters will face in the voting booth, political observers said.

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain is greeted by supporters as he arrives at a campaign stop in Steubenville, Ohio October 31, 2008.

In California, two controversial initiatives of the 12 state measures are drawing widespread attention.

    Proposition 8 demands to amend the state's constitution to specify that only marriage between a man and a woman is legal in California. It was proposed to overturn a ruling by the state Supreme Court earlier this year to legalize same-sex marriage.

    Groups for and against same-sex marriage have been strengthening their campaigning in recent weeks, spending millions of dollars donated from across the country on television, radio and newspaper ads to persuade voters.

Two supporters of U.S. Democratic Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) cheer at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, October 31, 2008.

In Florida and Arizona, voters will also meet measures about the legality of same-sex marriage on their ballots this year. California became the second state in the country, after Massachusetts, to legalize same-sex marriage in May when the court made the ruling.

    Another controversial measure in California is Proposition 10, which allow the state to sell 5 billion dollars in bonds for various renewable energy and air-emissions reduction purposes. The measure is supported by companies promoting the use of natural-gas products, but strongly opposed by consumer rights groups.

Supporters cheer at a campaign rally with U.S. Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in Hanoverton, Ohio October 31, 2008

Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, said that the measure was poorly written and would distort the market in favor of natural-gas products.

    "There's nothing in the proposition to require these dollars are used in California for the benefit of our air or our residents," he said.

    Meanwhile, a Missouri measure would require utilities to produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020 and Colorado voters would decide whether to increase taxes paid by the oil and gas industry for promoting renewable energy sources.

    According to NCSL, Colorado leads all the states with 14 measures on the ballot in this year's election, followed by California and Oregon each with 12.