About 35 students joined hundreds of local political leaders and activists in an early-morning effort to raise voter awareness about the abortion referendum on the ballot next Tuesday.

Commuters along Mass. Ave. from Arlington to Roxbury from 7 to 9 a.m. were greeted by 500 activists spaced at 20-foot intervals holding picket signs reading "Vote Pro-Choice--Vote No on Question 1."

The turnout suprised the organizers who had only expected 300 people to show, said Jennifer Jackman, Boston chapter president of the National Organization for Women.

Sarah Jane Holcombe '86-'87, an organizer of Harvard-Radcliffe Students for Choice, said the rally was "a good way to jolt the issue into people's minds."

Among those jolting were former Congressionalcandidate James Roosevelt Jr. '68, State Sen. SalAlbano (D-Somerville), Cambridge City CouncilorAlice K. Wolf, and several Boston-area staterepresentatives.

Many student participants said they hoped the"stand-out" would clarify the referendum wordingfor voters.

If Question 1 passes, it would remove barriersto legislation against state funding for abortion.It would also allow the state government toregulate or even outlaw the operation itself ifthe Supreme Court reverses its 1973 decision tolegalize abortion.

"The signs link pro-choice to a 'no' vote,"Barbara J. Ebling '89 said. "The wording of thereferendum is awkward, and people who didn't knowwhich way to vote might go the wrong way."

It also was important to "show that many peoplesupport the prochoice position," said Jeffrey S.Behrens '89, president of the Harvard-RadcliffeDemocratic Club. He added that the rally mightencourage voters to go to the polls on November 4despite the absence of a major candidate race innext week's election.

"I'm not sure it'll change people's minds, butthey'll know it's an issue," Gillian Darlow '89said.

"Anybody who drives by and didn't know aboutthe referendum before knows now," said Sarah E.Wilson '90.

The Campaign for Choice, an umbrellaorganization of groups opposed to the referendum,has estimated that a million votes are necessaryto defeat the question. Polls taken earlier thismonth showed the proposal lagging among voters.Fifty-one percent of voters oppose the propositionwhile 37 percent support it, the polls show