California Voters Express Displeasure with Long Ballots and Complex Propositions Ahead of Midterms
California voters are facing a ballot with 14 propositions, the highest number since the November 2016 election, leading to widespread displeasure. A recent PPIC Statewide Survey, presented by survey analyst Deja Thomas, reveals that likely voters find ballots excessively long and the wording of citizens' initiatives too complicated, making it difficult to understand their implications. Among the propositions, Proposition 40, which proposes a one-time 5% tax on taxpayers with assets over $1 billion, has thin support with 52% voting yes and 46% no. Proposition 3, aiming to make an existing tax on higher incomes permanent, garners more support at 58% yes. Measures to nullify Proposition 40, specifically Proposition 41 (requiring state auditor approval for new special taxes) and Proposition 42 (restricting new taxes on personal property), also show slim support at 51% and 54% yes, respectively. In the gubernatorial race, Xavier Becerra leads Steve Hilton, with 6 in 10 likely voters supporting Becerra.
