From the legality of equine steak and cock fighting to Indian gambling, medical marijuana and gay marriages, American voters face a myriad of specialised referendums today.
As usual, California, the most populous state of the US, has both the oddest and the most-hotly contested topics: a proposition to ban the sale of horse-meat for human consumption and a bill that would allow Native Americans to open casinos.
"Off the table, in the stable," is the rallying cry for the anti-horsemeat initiative. "It is incredibly inhumane to slaughter an animal that was raised to be a pet," initiative organiser Ms Cathlene Doyle said. "These are companion animals."
Golden State voters will face 12 other referendums, including a controversial initiative to give American Indians the right to operate gaming parlours on tribal lands.
Spending for and against Proposition Five has made it one of the most expensive initiatives on the ballot, with casino owners in neighbouring Nevada fighting fiercely against the move. Some $86 million has been spent to woo voters. Supporters say it will give long-discriminated-against Indians revenue needed for services on reservations and their continued economic survival.
Arizona and Michigan voters will be asked to ban cock fighting. Voters in Michigan will vote to whether to ban assisted suicide, and ballots in Colorado and Washington states ask voters to outlaw some abortions.
In four states - Alaska, Nevada, Oregon and Washington - and the District of Columbia, voters are being asked to ballot on the legalisation of marijuana for medical purposes.
"We are not trying to legalise drugs," said Dr Rob Killian, a Seattle doctor and organiser of the state's marijuana initiative. "It is just (about) marijuana and just for sick people."
Supporters say the drug should be allowed for people suffering from some AIDS symptoms, glaucoma, nausea caused by chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other illnesses causing "intractable" pain.
In Hawaii, the issue of homosexual marriage is up in the air with a proposed amendment to the state constitution that, if approved, would allow same-sex marriages to be banned. Should the amendment be rejected, Hawaii would become the first state to grant homosexuals the same matrimonial rights accorded to heterosexuals.
That could have nation-wide implications - homosexual couples from other states could get married in Hawaii and demand their marriages be recognised in their home states.