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Democrats push for a constitutional amendment in Florida that would make it the first Southern state to legalize medical marijuana. They hope the measure will galvanize young voters who have a historically weak turnout in non-presidential election years. Photo by Rick Wilking/Reuters

Party operatives are pushing a constitutional amendment that would make Florida the first state in the South to legalize some pot use. Polls show the measure has widespread public support, and its particularly popular among young voters a critical part of the Democratic coalition with historically weak turnout in non-presidential election years. I wish that it didnt take medical marijuana on the ballot to motivate our young voters to go and vote because theres far too much at stake for them and their children, said Ana Cruz, former executive director of the Florida Democratic Party. But listen, well take it any way we can get it.

At stake is the Florida governors office, as well as a handful of competitive House seats. But the nations political world will be watching Floridas turnout in November for clues to whether pot on the ballot could draw young people to the polls.

In 2012, both Washington and Colorado saw spikes in youth turnout when marijuana initiatives were on the ballot. This year, Florida could be a critical test case for whether those increases were an anomaly or the start of a trend in advance of the presidential election in 2016, when activists plan to launch legalization campaigns in at least six states, including battleground Nevada.

Its a smart move on the Democrats part, said David Flaherty, a Colorado-based GOP pollster. Its going to help them, no doubt about it.

The marijuana initiative may be one bright spot for Democrats in an election year that could be grim for the party. President Barack Obama remains unpopular, and Republicans are trying to make the elections a referendum on his health care law. Gov. Rick Scott is making the health care overhaul a central issue in the governors race and outside conservative groups, such as Americans for Prosperity, are funding a barrage of negative ads against Democrats in a handful of swing-voting House districts.

I would rather have it on the ballot than not, said Steve Schale, a Democratic consultant who managed Obamas Florida campaign in 2008. It could have a marginal impact, and a marginal impact in Florida could be the difference between winning and losing.

A Republican victory in a special House election last month in Florida underscored the Democrats turnout problem. The St. Petersburg-area district has 2.4 percent more registered Republicans than Democrats, but GOP voters outnumbered Democrats by 8 percentage points among those who cast ballots.

While far from a cure-all, Democrats say the medical pot measure could help counter Republican energy by motivating young and independent voters. According to a national survey sponsored by George Washington University last month, nearly 40 percent of likely voters said they would be much more likely to vote if a legalization measure was on the ballot, with another 30 percent saying they would be somewhat more likely to vote.

Organizers of the medical marijuana effort plan to raise and spend $10 million on their campaign, with much of the money devoted to a turnout operation aimed at registering voters to cast absentee ballots.

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Florida Democrats hope medical pot measure will boost voter turnout