For many people, next week’s midterm elections are about which party will control Congress and they’re watching midwestern and southern states very closely.

For those concerned with nutrition, health, and the environment all eyes are on Oregon and Colorado–the current frontlines in the political battle for mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients.

On Tuesday, Oregonians will vote on Measure 92 a statewide requirement for labeling of GMO-containing food products by January 2016. A similar “right to know” bill with a 2016 deadline is up for vote in Colorado as Proposition 105.

A recent poll by Oregon Public Broadcasting, in conjunction with Fox 12, shows that Oregon’s “labelize-it” contingency is ahead by a slight margin of 19% to 44%. Colorado labeling advocates are having a tougher climb. A poll last week by Suffolk University indicated that 29.8% of Coloradans support labeling while 49% oppose it, and 21% are undecided.

In both states, major food, agriculture, biotech and grocery concerns are spending bigtime to defeat the labeling bills. Led by Monsanto, Pepsico, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, coroporations opposed to labeling have spent upward of $30 million to derail the mandates, claiming that such state initiatives would be costly, meaningless, and that a state-by-state patchwork of differing labeling rules would impede commerce.

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