Almost half of California voters support a ballot measure to increase taxes on commercial and industrial properties to provide additional funding for schools and local governments, the Los Angeles Times reports.
A new poll released Wednesday from the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies found that almost half of likely voters, 49%, would vote for Proposition 15, while 34% will vote against it, and 17% are undecided.
“I think the chances for passage are fairly decent,” said Mark DiCamillo, who directed the poll.
The Times notes that most political analysts have found that California ballot measures that don’t surpass 50% in the polls leading up to Election Day tend to fail, but DiCamillo said that the lack of notice could work in the measure’s favor.
“In this new world, or at least this particular cycle where so many voters aren’t paying attention, I think any lead is significant,” he said.
“Throughout this campaign, the polling has been consistent: Wide margins of voters support closing corporate tax loopholes to bring investments back into local communities,” said Alex Stack, a spokesman for the campaign Yes on 15.
“This survey underscores the simple point — as voters begin to realize that Prop. 15 is the largest property tax increase in state history, is the first step to undoing Prop. 13 in its entirety, and will have a devastating impact on small businesses and farmers, they are overwhelmingly rejecting it,” said Michael Bustamante, a representative for the No on 15 campaign.
The poll surveyed 7,198 registered voters in California, including 5,942 likely voters, from September 9-15, 2020, with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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