Proposed California billionaire tax shows early support in new poll

"In ballot initiatives in California, you really want to start in the 60s. Factors such as ballot language, messaging, and endorsements often determine an initiative's success. Anytime you sort of have raised doubt in a voter's mind, they're going to tend to want to vote no."

"If you don't have a lot of information about a proposition and you're not really sure if it's a good idea or not, it can feel safer to vote no. Voters' uncertainty is not surprising, given how early it is in the campaign process."

"The measure would fund California's healthcare system, which might play to the opposition's favor. It's not ideally written for helping the overall budget, and there's a little bit of skittishness among the voters about the proposal's structure and implementation."

A UC Berkeley-POLITICO poll reveals early voter support for a union-backed wealth tax on California billionaires' assets, with approximately half of likely voters expressing support and 23% undecided. The labor group SEIU is gathering signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. Campaign experts note that early polling typically requires 60% support for ballot initiatives to succeed. Success depends on ballot language, messaging, and endorsements. The proposal would fund California's healthcare system. Political analysts suggest voter uncertainty at this early stage is normal, as voters tend to vote no when lacking sufficient information about a proposition.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco