State Voter Referendums Cover Gay Marriage, Stem Cells, Taxes; Gambling, prostitution among 163 measures; many key votes in Calif.(A)

Byline: SEAN HIGGINS

Voters head to the polls today to pick their elected officials.

In many states, those same voters are cutting out the middleman and making policy themselves via referendums and initiatives.

In all, 163 measures are on ballots in 34 states. Lawmakers put most of them there, but 61 were the result of grass-roots groups. The issues run the gamut, from gay marriage to gambling and environmental regulations.

Certain ballot initiatives are thought to benefit one of the presidential candidates, but the sheer number and variety make assessing their impact difficult.

In no state is the ballot more crowded than California, where voters can decide on 16 …