According to the latest public opinion poll released by the University of California, Berkeley’s Government Research Institute on August 16th, the majority of California voters are planning to vote in favor of Proposition 36 in this year’s election. Proposition 36 aims to increase penalties for repeat theft and drug offenses.
Approximately 56% of the respondents stated that they intend to vote in support of the proposition, while 23% opposed it and 21% remain undecided.
Among Democratic voters, 48% expressed support for Proposition 36, with 29% opposed and 23% undecided.
Republican voters overwhelmingly support the proposition, with 69% indicating they will vote in favor, 17% opposed, and 14% undecided.
Regardless of voter groups divided by regions such as urban, suburban, or rural voters, as well as different genders and races of California voters, there is widespread support for Proposition 36.
Support for the proposition is high among all income groups, although slightly lower among low-income groups earning less than $40,000 annually.
The only group where opposition exceeds support is voters who consider themselves “extremely liberal.”
After local prosecutors and law enforcement officials proposed Proposition 36, hundreds of thousands of Californians signed a petition hoping to include the proposition in the November election ballot.
Some retailers and business leaders have publicly expressed support for the proposition and have initiated various activities to promote its passage.
In 2014, California voters passed Proposition 47, which allowed certain serious theft and drug offenses to be downgraded to misdemeanors to reduce the prison population.
However, over the past decade, some law enforcement experts have argued that the changes brought about by Proposition 47 have posed a threat to public safety and have loopholes that have reduced the consequences for certain drug and theft crimes.
Recent widespread smash-and-grab incidents and retail thefts have been blamed on Proposition 47. The proposition categorizes thefts valued below $950 as misdemeanors, even for repeat offenders without cumulative charges. Proposition 36, on the other hand, will reinstate the aggregated calculation of theft offenses, making it easier to charge repeat offenders with felonies.
The proposition also prioritizes rehabilitation programs to help drug offenders overcome addiction. Convicted individuals of drug-related crimes will be given the opportunity to complete rehabilitation programs to avoid incarceration.
This opinion poll was conducted between July 31 and August 11, reaching out to 3,765 potential voting Californian citizens via email to inquire about their views on the ballot initiatives. The Los Angeles Times provided partial funding for this research.