By a small margin, Oregon voters favor a state law requiring labels on food containing genetically modified organisms, based on a survey of 516 likely voters, says the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day, Oregon. The poll commissioned by Oregon Public Broadcasting and a TV station found 49 percent supported the GMO labeling initiative, 44 percent opposed it and 7 percent were undecided with a margin of error of +/-4.3 percent. The survey, conducted last week, was one of the few polls made public on GMO labeling referendums in Oregon and Colorado.
Pollster John Horvick of DVH Research said 61 percent of Republicans opposed GMO labeling, making them the largest bloc in opposition. By a 2-to-1 margin, young, new and low-frequency voters support labeling. Horvick said if labeling proponents can persuade those groups to vote, the proposal could pass narrowly. Voters rejected GMO labeling in 2002.