Latest news with #UCBerkeleyInstituteofGovernmentalStudies
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Californians worried about state of American democracy, poll finds
A new poll has found that 90% of Californians believe democracy in the U.S. is being tested, if it's not under outright attack. The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released Thursday polled nearly 6,500 California voters, finding that almost two-thirds of them agreed that 'American democracy is under attack.' 'Another 26% describe it as 'being tested, but it is not under attack,'' the IGS said. 'Only one in ten California voters think our democracy is in 'no danger.'' And those concerns don't come from just one party, the Los Angeles Times detailed. 'They are shared regardless of income or education level, race or ethnicity,' the Times explained. 'Californians living in big cities and rural countrysides, young and old, expressed similar unease.' Eric Schickler, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, said the poll shows 'the deep concerns that many California voters have about the state of American democracy.' 'Not many years ago, it is hard to imagine that a majority of voters would have seen U.S. democracy as under severe threat,' Schickler said. 'It is now something of a new 'normal' — itself a worrisome sign about how things have shifted.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
New poll finds most Californians believe American democracy is in peril
SACRAMENTO — An overwhelming number of California voters think American democracy is being threatened or, at the very least, tested, according to a new poll released Thursday by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. The poll, conducted for the nonprofit Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, found that concerns cut across the partisan spectrum. They are shared regardless of income or education level, race or ethnicity. Californians living in big cities and rural countrysides, young and old, expressed similar unease. 'I do think that it's at a pretty dangerous point right now. The concerns are justified,' said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the Berkeley institute. 'Our democracy is not healthy when you have a president that's acting to unilaterally stop money from being spent that's been appropriated, or going to war with colleges and universities or sending troops to L.A.' In the survey, 64% of California voters said they thought American democracy was under attack, and 26% felt our system of government was being tested but was not under attack. The poll did not investigate what voters blamed for putting democracy in peril. Democrats, who dominate the California electorate, were the most fearful, with 81% saying it was under attack and 16% who described democracy as being tested. Among voters registered as 'no party preference' or with other political parties, 61% felt democracy was under assault, and 32% said it was being tested. Republicans expressed more faith — nearly a quarter of those polled said they felt democracy was in no danger. But 38% said it was under attack and 39% said it was being tested but not under attack. Concerns among Democrats may have been expected in California, given the state's liberal tilt and the widespread and relentless government upheaval since President Trump took office in January. But the opinions shared by Republicans indicates just how pervasive the concerns are about the future of a country seen as a worldwide beacon of freedom and democracy. Emily Ekins, director of polling for the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington, said those findings are evidence of an unsettling new development in American politics. 'A couple years ago, Republicans felt that democracy was at risk and now Democrats feel that democracy is at risk. I think that this is pretty worrisome, because people are starting to view the stakes of each election as being higher and higher,' said Ekins, who had no involvement with the Berkeley poll. 'They may feel like they could lose their rights and freedoms. They may not feel like the rules apply to them anymore because they feel like so much is on the line.' Schickler said the political perceptions among Republicans have been recently fed, in part, by Trump's baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him. Continuous allegations that the U.S. Department. of Justice, including the FBI, and a 'deep state' federal government bureaucracy were weaponized against him since his first term in office also contributed to the fear. Those claims were magnified by conservative news outlets, including Fox News, as well as Trump loyalists on social media, popular podcasts and talk shows. Even some Republicans who support the president or are agnostic about his tenure are likely concerned about the discord in American politics in recent months, Schickler said, especially after the Trump administration sent U.S. Marines and the California National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles as a protective force during widespread federal immigration raids and subsequent protests. Recent decisions by media companies to settle Trump's lawsuits over complaints about stories and coverage also are concerning, he said, despite the merits of those allegations being suspect. This month, Paramount Global decided to pay $16 million to settle Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris; the president claimed it was done to help her presidential campaign against him. Paramount's leaders hope the settlement will help clear a path for Trump-appointed regulators to bless the company's $8-billion sale to David Ellison's Skydance Media. 'That's not how a democracy is supposed to work,' Schickler said. 'I think the voters' concerns are rooted in a reality, one that's been building up for a while. It's not something that's just started in 2025 but it's been kind of gradually getting more serious over the last 20 or 30 years.' The survey also found that 75% of California voters believe strongly or somewhat that special interest money has too much influence in state politics, a sentiment especially strong among Republicans. Slim majorities of California voters had little or no trust that Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature act in the best interest of the public. According to the poll, 42% of voters said they have a lot or some trust in Newsom to act in the public's interest; 53% said they trust his actions just a little or not at all. Those surveyed had similar sentiments about the legislature. The courts received the most favorable marks, with 57% of voters saying they trusted the judicial system to act in the best interest of the public. Technology companies and their leaders were labeled completely untrustworthy by 58% of those surveyed. Russia Chavis Cardenas, deputy director of the nonpartisan government accountability organization group California Common Cause, which has received grants from the poll-sponsoring Haas Fund, said the findings show just how much special interest influence in Sacramento, and Washington, erodes public trust in government, which may provide insight into their concerns about the health of the American democracy. 'I want to see folks from every political party, every race and every walk of life to be able to be engaged in their democracy, to be able to have a say, to be able to have representation,' Chavis Cardinas said. 'So these numbers are concerning, but they also don't lie,' she said. 'They're letting us know that folks here in California recognize the influence that big money has, and that the tech companies have too much power over elected officials.' The poll surveyed 6,474 registered voters throughout California from June 2-6.
Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Survey shows Californians want ballots in more languages
SACRAMENTO — The vast majority of California voters support expanding access to translated ballots for people who speak limited English, an effort that would likely increase turnout, a new poll found. That finding comes from a poll released Monday by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, which conducted the survey in five languages — English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese — to capture voter sentiment in a state where more than a quarter of residents are foreign born. The poll, conducted for the nonprofit Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, found that about 70% of California's registered voters agreed that eligible voters who speak limited English should be provided with ballots translated into their preferred language. Support was strong among all age groups, races and ethnicities, as well as among Democrats and independent voters. Republicans were closely divided. 'I think in the country as a whole there's a lot of debate and struggle over how inclusive a democracy we're going to be and a lot of controversy over immigration, immigrant rights, immigrant inclusion,' said political scientist Eric Schickler, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies. 'It's timely just thinking about the question of inclusion of different groups — who feels fully American and is allowed to feel fully American in our political system.' Schickler and others said that, according to the latest estimates, more than 3 million registered voters in California self-identify as limited-English proficient. As of February, just under 23 million Californians were registered to vote. Under state and federal law, California is required to provide bilingual voting assistance to Spanish speakers. Nine counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara — must provide voting materials in at least one language other than English or Spanish. Translated sample ballots and other assistance also must be made available in Spanish or other languages in counties or precincts where the state has determined at least 3% of the voting-age residents are members of a single-language minority and don't understand English well enough to vote without assistance. The Berkeley survey found that 82% of Democrats supported providing translated ballot materials to limited-English voters, as did 72% of voters registered as 'no party preference.' Among Republicans, 45% supported providing the translated ballots, while 42% did not. According to the poll, most California voters also favored a proposal that recently went before the state Legislature that would have allowed all limited-English-speaking communities that meet a minimum threshold in a county to receive translated versions of all voting materials. Legislation to that effect, SB 266, proposed by Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), failed to pass out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. A more ambitious bill to expand access to translated ballots and materials, AB 884, passed the Legislature in 2024, but was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor stated that while he supported expanding ballot access, the bill would have cost tens of millions of dollars not included in the budget. Providing translated ballots to California voters with limited English proficiency is critical in a state that is home to such a diverse electorate — and is known for its complex state and local ballot measures, said Rosalind Gold of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. 'Even folks who are very educated and native-born English speakers find trying to decipher the description of a ballot measure and what it means to be challenging,' Gold said. Providing translated sample ballots and other election materials to voters does not go far enough, she said: The official ballots themselves, whether for Californians who vote by mail or those who vote at polling stations, should be provided in a voter's preferred language. 'It is difficult to basically, kind of go back and forth between the ballot you're going to be marking your choices on and a sample ballot or a facsimile ballot that's in your native language,' Gold said. 'When people can directly vote on a ballot that is in a language that they are more familiar with, it just demystifies the whole process.' The Berkeley survey found that, among limited-English speakers who lacked access to translated election materials or were unsure if it was provided, 87% said they would be more likely to vote in future elections if they received a ballot in their preferred language. A similar number said receiving those translated ballots would make it easier for them to vote. The poll surveyed 6,474 registered voters throughout California from June 2-6.
Gulf Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Most Californians favour proving citizenship to vote
Kevin Rector, Tribune News Service While California voters are sharply divided along partisan lines when it comes to election integrity and voter fraud, they broadly support a politically-charged proposal from President Donald Trump and other Republicans to require first-time voters to provide government-issued identification proving their citizenship in order to register, according to a new poll. A majority of voters in both parties back the proof of citizenship requirement for registering, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Most Californians also supported requiring a government ID every time a voter casts a ballot, though by a slimmer majority and despite most Democrats opposing the idea. Mark DiCamillo, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, said the bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out, as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting — which California and other states are suing to block. Still, DiCamillo said his biggest takeaway was the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which he said should be a "serious concern" for state elections officials — even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite, the poll found. "It is significant to me that the Republicans in this state are not of that view. And that's something that has to be dealt with," DiCamillo said. "In an election system, you want both sides to be on board." Overall, 71% of respondents said they supported new voters having to prove citizenship upon registering, including 59% of Democrats, the poll found. Nearly all Republicans — 95% — backed the proposal, as did 71% of voters registered to other parties or as "no party preference." A separate proposal to require voters to show proof of citizenship every time they vote also drew support from a majority of poll respondents, but a much slimmer one — with 54% support. While 88% of Republicans backed that idea, about 60% of Democrats opposed it. Among independents and Californians registered with other parties, 54% supported it. Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento have repeatedly rebuffed proposals for stricter voter ID laws in the state, including in recent weeks, when they shot down a voter ID bill from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego. DeMaio also has launched a campaign to place a voter ID and proof of citizenship requirement on the 2026 ballot. DeMaio said the poll showed there is "broad public support" for his measure — which would require both proof of citizenship upon registering for the first time and a photo ID for confirming identity each subsequent time voting — and that California Democrats are "out of touch" with the electorate. "Overwhelmingly, voters support this ballot measure," he said. "The only people who don't support it? Sacramento politicians." The proposed ballot measure would require mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of the voter's valid government-issued form of identification, along with the current requirement to have the signature of a voter on the ballot verified. The polling was conducted April 21-28, about a month after Trump issued a March 25 executive order presuming to dictate to the states a slate of new election requirements that Trump said were necessary to restore integrity in US elections, but many experts said were outside the scope of his authority. Trump has alleged for years, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that voter fraud is widespread, including among immigrants who are in the country illegally. Neither of those things is true. Trump's executive order says voters must show a US passport, Real ID or some other government-issued photo identification in order to register to vote. It says states also must limit their counting of ballots to those received by election day — not postmarked by then, as California and some other states currently allow — or risk losing federal funding. The order also directs the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent, bipartisan body outside the president's control, to mandate the proposed restrictions and other, Trump-determined requirements for state voting systems, and to rescind its certifications of voting equipment in states that don't comply. Parts of Trump's order — including the proof of citizenship requirement — have been blocked in federal court while litigation challenging the order continues. California is one of many states suing, with California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta calling Trump's order "a blatantly illegal power grab and an attempt to disenfranchise voters." In a statement on the poll results, Bonta said it was fortunate that a majority of Californians still have confidence in the state election system despite Trump "spreading lies" about voter fraud and other election issues for years. He said state law "already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud," and that his office "is committed to removing barriers to voter registration and to promoting greater participation in the democratic process — in and out of court." Dean C. Logan, registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County, said in a court filing earlier this week that Trump's order — if left intact — would "divert time, resources, and attention from other critical departmental responsibilities and election preparation, including assisting voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires; upgrading the County's Election Management System ('EMS') which serves as the backbone of the voter registration intake and database; and engaging in a site by site analysis of all 600-plus Vote Center locations to ensure they meet accessibility standards." The poll found Californians are largely at odds with Trump's attacks on the integrity of US elections, which is perhaps not surprising in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2 to 1. For instance, the poll found that a majority of Californians — and strong majorities of Democrats — believe voter fraud is rare, express confidence in the integrity of the state's voting system, oppose efforts by the federal government to take more control over voting from the state and counties, and oppose Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots after election day. Among the respondents who participated in the poll — 6,201 registered voters in the state — more than two-thirds, or 68%, expressed confidence in the overall integrity of the state's election system. The same percentage opposed Trump's recent proposal to prohibit the counting of ballots postmarked but not received by election day. Well over half — or 57% — said they believed voter fraud in the state is very or fairly rare, while a similar percentage, 58%, said they were opposed to Trump's proposal for the federal government to take greater control over state elections. On all of those questions, however, Californians were heavily divided along partisan lines.
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Most Californians favor proving citizenship to vote, poll finds
LOS ANGELES - While California voters are sharply divided along partisan lines when it comes to election integrity and voter fraud, they broadly support a politically-charged proposal from President Donald Trump and other Republicans to require first-time voters to provide government-issued identification proving their citizenship in order to register, according to a new poll. A majority of voters in both parties back the proof of citizenship requirement for registering, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Most Californians also supported requiring a government ID every time a voter casts a ballot, though by a slimmer majority and despite most Democrats opposing the idea. Mark DiCamillo, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, said the bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out, as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting - which California and other states are suing to block. Still, DiCamillo said his biggest takeaway was the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which he said should be a "serious concern" for state elections officials - even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite, the poll found. "It is significant to me that the Republicans in this state are not of that view. And that's something that has to be dealt with," DiCamillo said. "In an election system, you want both sides to be on board." Overall, 71% of respondents said they supported new voters having to prove citizenship upon registering, including 59% of Democrats, the poll found. Nearly all Republicans - 95% - backed the proposal, as did 71% of voters registered to other parties or as "no party preference." A separate proposal to require voters to show proof of citizenship every time they vote also drew support from a majority of poll respondents, but a much slimmer one - with 54% support. While 88% of Republicans backed that idea, about 60% of Democrats opposed it. Among independents and Californians registered with other parties, 54% supported it. Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento have repeatedly rebuffed proposals for stricter voter ID laws in the state, including in recent weeks, when they shot down a voter ID bill from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego. DeMaio also has launched a campaign to place a voter ID and proof of citizenship requirement on the 2026 ballot. DeMaio said the poll showed there is "broad public support" for his measure - which would require both proof of citizenship upon registering for the first time and a photo ID for confirming identity each subsequent time voting - and that California Democrats are "out of touch" with the electorate. "Overwhelmingly, voters support this ballot measure," he said. "The only people who don't support it? Sacramento politicians." The proposed ballot measure would require mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of the voter's valid government-issued form of identification, along with the current requirement to have the signature of a voter on the ballot verified. The polling was conducted April 21-28, about a month after Trump issued a March 25 executive order presuming to dictate to the states a slate of new election requirements that Trump said were necessary to restore integrity in U.S. elections, but many experts said were outside the scope of his authority. Trump has alleged for years, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that voter fraud is widespread, including among immigrants who are in the country illegally. Neither of those things is true. Trump's executive order says voters must show a U.S. passport, Real ID or some other government-issued photo identification in order to register to vote. It says states also must limit their counting of ballots to those received by election day - not postmarked by then, as California and some other states currently allow - or risk losing federal funding. The order also directs the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent, bipartisan body outside the president's control, to mandate the proposed restrictions and other, Trump-determined requirements for state voting systems, and to rescind its certifications of voting equipment in states that don't comply. Parts of Trump's order - including the proof of citizenship requirement - have been blocked in federal court while litigation challenging the order continues. California is one of many states suing, with California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta calling Trump's order "a blatantly illegal power grab and an attempt to disenfranchise voters." In a statement on the poll results, Bonta said it was fortunate that a majority of Californians still have confidence in the state election system despite Trump "spreading lies" about voter fraud and other election issues for years. He said state law "already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud," and that his office "is committed to removing barriers to voter registration and to promoting greater participation in the democratic process - in and out of court." Dean C. Logan, registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County, said in a court filing earlier this week that Trump's order - if left intact - would "divert time, resources, and attention from other critical departmental responsibilities and election preparation, including assisting voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires; upgrading the County's Election Management System ('EMS') which serves as the backbone of the voter registration intake and database; and engaging in a site by site analysis of all 600-plus Vote Center locations to ensure they meet accessibility standards." The poll found Californians are largely at odds with Trump's attacks on the integrity of U.S. elections, which is perhaps not surprising in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2 to 1. For instance, the poll found that a majority of Californians - and strong majorities of Democrats - believe voter fraud is rare, express confidence in the integrity of the state's voting system, oppose efforts by the federal government to take more control over voting from the state and counties, and oppose Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots after election day. Among the respondents who participated in the poll - 6,201 registered voters in the state - more than two-thirds, or 68%, expressed confidence in the overall integrity of the state's election system. The same percentage opposed Trump's recent proposal to prohibit the counting of ballots postmarked but not received by election day. Well over half - or 57% - said they believed voter fraud in the state is very or fairly rare, while a similar percentage, 58%, said they were opposed to Trump's proposal for the federal government to take greater control over state elections. On all of those questions, however, Californians were heavily divided along partisan lines. For instance, 61% of Republican voters said they are not very or not at all confident in the integrity of the state's election system, which compared to just 13% of Democrats. And while 74% of Republicans said fraud was somewhat or very prevalent in state elections, just 14% of Democrats felt the same, the poll found. A majority of voters - 58% - opposed the federal government taking more control over elections from the state, despite more than three-quarters of Republicans supporting the move. And, while 57% of Republican voters backed Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots postmarked but not received by election officials by election day, just 9% of Democrats agreed - with 86% of Democrats disagreeing. Rick Hasen, a voting rights expert at UCLA Law School, said the poll results - including Californians' overall confidence in the state's election system, disbelief in prevalent fraud and opposition to federal takeover - were in line with other polling and what he'd expect. "Most people in most states believe that their own state's election system is run well, and that if there is any kind of problem, it's elsewhere," he said. It was equally unsurprising that "Republicans have a much more cynical view of the process," he said. "Party supporters tend to follow their elites, and the top of the Republican Party has been making false and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud for decades now," Hasen said. "It's no surprise that it's seeped through to the electorate." Hasen said the results on proof of citizenship also made sense, as "voter ID has polled positively, so requiring proof of voter citizenship also tends to poll positively." But, he questioned whether poll respondents really understood the implications of such a requirement. Asked whether it would be easy or difficult to "present a government-issued photo ID as proof of citizenship when voting in an election," 93% of respondents said it would be easy. But Hasen, many Democrats and most voting rights groups have argued just the opposite - that millions of U.S. citizens would be blocked from voting by the measure because they lack the required documents, which don't include birth certificates, which don't have photos, or many California driver's licenses. "I just don't think people recognize that a lot of government-issued photo IDs would not qualify, and they certainly wouldn't qualify under the president's proposed rules," Hasen said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
