Election Polls

This week the Public Policy Institute of California released its latest poll on the upcoming November 2 election.

PPIC surveyed 2,002 adult state residents. including 200 interviewed via cell phones.

The PPIC results found the Democratic candidates ahead. Attorney General Jerry Brown with 44 percent of likely voters had an eight percent advantage over the Republican candidate, Meg Whitman.

In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer led her challenger, Republican Carly Fiorina by five percent, 43 to 38.

Both Democrats improved from their September levels.

Nearly 87 percent of the respondents believe the state is in some form of a recession. And 54 percent believe it is very serious. Twenty-eight percent of respondents are very concerned that they or someone in their family will lose their job in the next year.

Among likely voters, 48 percnet believe Whitman would do a better job dealing with the state budget and taxes, while 40 percent think Brown is better able to grapple with these issues.

When asked about jobs and the economy, 47 percnet of the respondents felt Whitman had the capability to deal with these issues the best, while 39 percent felt Brown was better.

PPIC also asked about several of the Propositions.

Proposition 19, making small amount of marijuana legal, was now trailing, the “no” votes were 49 percent of likely voters and “yes” 44 percent, while seven percent didn’t know how they would vote.

More than half of the respondents thought the Proposition 19 result was very important to them.

Proposition 23 which would authorization suspension the state’s climate control laws is trailing also, 48 percent opposed and 37 percent for, but the number of “don’t know” is higher, 15 percent.

Proposition 24, which repeals several recently authorized business tax provisions, trails, 38 percent to 31, and a whooping 31 percent responded “don’t know.”

Proposition 25, which reduces the requirement of 2/3 of the legislature voting for a new budget to a simple majority, bucks the trend. Forty-nine pecent of likely voters support, 34 percent oppose it and 17 percent “don’t know.”

Here are some interesting results from the same poll. Almost 60 percent of the respondents believe the state initiative process produces better public policy decisions than the governor or state legislative. But more than 80 percent think the initiative process could use changes. Fifty-two percent actually believe major changes are needed.