Several communities around Wisconsin were given the chance to tell Washington politicians what to do about the war in Iraq this past Election Day.

Advisory referendums relating to the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq appeared on ballots in South Milwaukee, Boscobel, Middleton, Racine, Fox Point, Wauwatosa, Viroqua, Lake Delton, Milwaukee and Springdale.

The referendum passed most overwhelmingly in Milwaukee, with 72 percent of voters voting "Yes," as unsupportive of the war in Iraq.

In Middleton, which is west of Madison, voters passed the referendum by 59 percent.

"The vote was a pretty fair representation of the feelings of the community," said Ald. Mark Horn, of the Middleton Common Council. "There was strong support for it."

Referendums calling for the U.S. troops to come home also passed in Boscobel by 63 percent, in Lake Delton by 66 percent and in South Milwaukee by 54 percent.

The "Bring the Troops Home" referendums are similar to the one that passed in Madison last April.

In Ozaukee County, voters approved an opposite referendum, voicing their support for the U.S. War on Terror "throughout the world." The Ozaukee County referendum was approved by 66 percent.

While most of the war referendums focused on whether U.S. troops should come home, a Wisconsin Rapids war referendum asked voters whether impeachment proceedings should begin against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The referendum failed, gaining approval by just 38 percent of the vote.

"I just don't think that, at this particular time, [voters] were interested in that," said Maynard Paterick, president of the Wisconsin Rapids Common Council. "I don't even think it should have been put on the ballot to start with."

Paterick added that Wisconsin Rapids voters were likely more concerned with other referendums on the town's ballot, such as ones pertaining to the school board, deer feeding and taxes.

Despite the overwhelming support some of the referendums received, some doubt these votes will have a significant impact on U.S. policy.

"[The referendum] is more important for the community than anything else," said Susan Paddock, a University of Wisconsin governmental affairs professor. "There have been any number of polls that show growing public discontent or non-support of the Iraqi War, so these are just one more way that gets demonstrated."

Since these referendums were merely advisory in nature, the federal government is not required to comply.