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JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. - Voters in Clark County will again have a chance to legalize gambling this November - but few seem to know they have that choice.
County Republicans collected enough signatures to pose the question on a referendum. But there has been little push to get voters to approve or reject the idea.
Glenn Murphy Jr., the chairman of the Clark County Republican Party who signed and supported the petition, said he doesn't think it will pass but the party wanted it on the ballot.
If not this year, many were fearful it would appear on next year's primary ballot, which would give it a better chance of approval, he said.
If defeated, the issue can't appear on a county ballot again for 10 years under state law.
Clark County Democrats, however, say they believe Republicans supported the referendum because they felt it was a "wedge issue" to motivate their voting base.
Voters in the county across the Ohio River from Louisville have expressed frustration with the low-key approach to push the referendum.
Merrick Bartlett, 39, of Jeffersonville votes in every election but only recently learned of the gambling question.
"I am concerned, now that I've heard about it," she said.
But some wonder if scant publicity could work in passing the measure.
"I've talked to a lot of people," said Jeffersonville Councilman John Perkins. "I don't see a lot of resistance to it."
Limited exposure about this year's gambling referendum stands in stark contrast to two previous efforts to legalize gambling in the county.
In 1993, one group alone said it was spending $250,000 to get the question approved. In 1995, $439,000 was spent by casino supporters, according to The Courier-Journal of Louisville.
The issue was defeated both times by more than 2,000 votes.
The question this year also has met resistance from religious leaders.
"We're just encouraging people to look at this as a moral issue," said Jim Bullock, pastor of the Colgate Baptist Church in Clarksville.
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