New poll finds support for Proposition 50, extraordinarily high' voter awareness of redistricting measure

"Opinions were strongly partisan, with 93% of Democrats in favor and 91% of Republicans opposed. Among those who said they already had voted in a state that mailed out ballots to all registered voters Oct. 6, 67% said they'd voted to approve Proposition 50 and 33% said they'd voted against it. The results suggest that Democrats have succeeded in framing the debate surrounding the proposition around support or opposition to President Trump and national Republicans, rather than about voters' more general preference for nonpartisan redistricting,"

"The poll findings are similar to those of other recent polls that also show California voters favoring the measure, which requires a simple majority to pass. A Public Policy Institute of California poll Oct. 28 found 56% in support and 43% opposed. The Berkeley IGS poll found that voters have extraordinarily high awareness of the measure, with 71% of likely voters saying they had heard a great deal about it. Supporters, who have heavily outraised opponents, have spent heavily on ads,"

Proposition 50 would temporarily replace California's independently drawn congressional maps with new ones likely to make five Republican-held districts more favorable to Democrats. A Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll completed a week before Election Day found 60% of likely voters supporting the measure and 38% opposing it. Partisan divisions are intense, with 93% of Democrats in favor and 91% of Republicans opposed. Early mail voters showed 67% support among those who had already voted. Voter awareness is high, with 71% saying they had heard a great deal. Supporters have heavily outraised opponents and spent heavily on advertising.

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