California rejects GM labels, upholds death penalty

California voters on Tuesday struck down proposals to ban the death penalty and to require food companies to label genetically-modified products, officials said, based on a majority of votes. The votes marked rare victories for conservatives on a night that saw Democrat President Barack Obama handily win re-election and liberal ballot initiatives succeed in other states.
The most populous US state voted against Proposition 34 - which would have replaced the death penalty with life in prison without parole - according to figures on the California Secretary of State's website. The website said 53.6 percent had opposed the measure, with 46.4 percent in favor. California also rejected Proposition 37 - which would have made it the first US state to require food companies to identify genetically modified (GM) ingredients - by 54 percent to 46 percent, the website said. Other US states backed legalising marijuana for recreational use, allowing gay marriage and rejected a call to ban public funding for abortions, in a swathe of state-wide ballots Tuesday.