Although affirmative action in college admissions has not been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, the consideration of race in admissions has been banned in nine states--in six of them by public vote. This article analyzes the campaigns to ban affirmative action in California and Michigan as a battle between interest groups. The course of events in these states demonstrates that public opinion is a threat to the legality of affirmative action, should interest groups continue to take advantage of it by pursuing bans by state initiative.