Nearly three-quarters of the California electorate plans to vote for a high-profile ballot measure that would increase penalties for some theft- and drug-related crimes, said poll results released Wednesday, Politico reports. Seventy-three percent of likely voters said they would support Proposition 36, the survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found, compared with 25 percent who plan to oppose it. Support for Prop 36 was the highest among the slate of 10 statewide issue questions appearing on Californians’ ballots this fall. It was also the measure named by the most voters — 28 percent — as the one in which they were most interested.
Crime has become a major campaign issue in part because of Prop 36’s presence on the ballot. The measure’s support has been fueled by lingering voter concerns since a surge in certain crimes during the pandemic, but faced resistance from leading Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom, who warn against a harsh pivot back to tough-on-crime policies. Other measures the poll found are in a strong position to pass include Prop 3, a constitutional amendment that would remove language from the state constitution banning same-sex marriage. Five measures on November’s ballot — on issues ranging from rent control to raising the minimum wage to banning forced prison labor — currently fall below the necessary 50 percent threshold to pass, the poll found.
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