Prop 56, raising cigarette tax, favored to pass, SurveyUSA poll shows

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Prop 56, raising cigarette tax, favored to pass, SurveyUSA poll shows
Prop 56, raising cigarette tax, favored to pass, SurveyUSA poll showsA ballot measure that would increase state tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack is favored to pass, according to the latest Eyewitness News poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A ballot measure that would increase state tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack is favored to pass, according to the latest Eyewitness News poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

Prop 56 calls for an increase on the state excise tax on cigarettes, other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes containing nicotine.

If this ballot measure passes, the current 87 cent tax would increase to $2.87. The latest poll results show that Prop 56 is favored to pass 57 percent to 35 percent.

The extra revenue from this tax would be used to increase spending on health care for low-income Californians, according to the state's official voter information guide.

Unlike 56, Prop 62 is not favored to pass. This measure pushes to end death penalty in California and replace it with life in prison. The SurveyUSA poll shows that Prop 62 is headed for defeat, as it trails by 18 points -- 35 percent to 53 percent.

Prop 64, which would legalize, regulate and tax recreational marijuana, is backed 51 percent to 40 percent, according to the poll. These numbers have not changed from polling numbers taken in September.

Also likely to pass is Prop 63, which would outlaw large-capacity magazines and would require background checks on ammo purchase. The measure is backed 63 percent to 27 percent.

In regards to the presidential race, the poll results show that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have lost support in the past few weeks.

Compared to an identical poll conducted before the first presidential debate, Clinton is down 3 points, Trump is down 3 points and undecided voters have doubled. Currently, Clinton's lead is 26 percentage points - which is the same figure seen in the last poll.

The poll results show that support for Trump in California is currently down 30 percent, which leaves him at risk of receiving a smaller percentage of the popular vote than any Republican candidate in the past 100 years.

The survey results show that Trump's support has steadily eroded among the youngest voters, down from 29 percent in mid-September to 25 in late-September to 20 currently.

In the California senate race to replace retiring Democrat Barbara Boxer, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Democrat Loretta Sanchez, 45 percent to 24 percent.

SurveyUSA interviewed 900 California adults between Thursday and Saturday. All interviews were conducted after the second 2016 presidential debate on Oct. 9. Of the adults, 820 were registered to vote. Of the registered, 725 were determined by SurveyUSA to have already voted in the presidential election or certain to do so before polls close on Nov. 8.

You can see the results of all 27 questions in the poll below:

1. California will elect a President on Tuesday, November 8. Please listen to these 6 statements and tell me which ONE statement best describes you: One: I have already voted. Two: I always vote in Presidential elections, and will definitely vote in this year's presidential election. Three: I always vote in Presidential elections, but this year, I do not like the candidates, so I will not vote in the presidential election this year. Four: I'm not sure yet whether I will or will not vote this year. Five: I rarely vote in Presidential elections, but this year I will go out of my way to vote. Six: I don't vote in Presidential elections, and I won't vote this year.

8% Already Voted

75% Always Do / Will This Year

3% Always Do / Not This Year

8% Not Sure Yet

6% Rarely Do / Will This Year

1% Don't / Won't This Year

2. If the election for President of the United States were today, and you were filling out your ballot right now, who would you vote for? (names rotated) Republican Donald Trump? Democrat Hillary Clinton? Libertarian Gary Johnson? or Green Party candidate Jill Stein?

30% Donald Trump (R)

56% Hillary Clinton (D)

4% Gary Johnson (L)

2% Jill Stein (G)

7% Undecided

3. Is yours more a vote FOR Donald Trump, or more a vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton?

53% For Trump

46% Against Clinton

1% Not Sure

4. Do you vote for Trump enthusiastically? Or with reservations?

65% Enthusiastically

33% With Reservations

2% Not Sure

5. Is yours more a vote FOR Hillary Clinton or more a vote AGAINST Donald Trump?

63% For Clinton

36% Against Trump

1% Not Sure

6. Do you vote for Clinton enthusiastically? Or with reservations?

60% Enthusiastically

36% With Reservations

4% Not Sure

7. Is yours more a vote FOR Gary Johnson? A vote AGAINST Donald Trump? Or a vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton?

45% For Johnson

33% Against Trump

21% Against Clinton

1% Not Sure

8. Is yours more a vote FOR Jill Stein? A vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton? Or a vote AGAINST Donald Trump?

49% For Stein

29% Against Clinton

21% Against Trump

2% Not Sure

9. In past Presidential elections, have you more often voted for the Republican candidate? More often voted for the Democratic candidate? Or have you in the past split pretty much down the middle?

35% Republican

32% Democrat

28% Split

5% Not Sure

10. In the election for United States Senator from California, if you were filling out your ballot right now, who would you vote for? (names rotated) Democrat Kamala Harris? Or Democrat Loretta Sanchez?

45% Kamala Harris (D)

24% Loretta Sanchez (D)

31% Undecided

11. There are 18 propositions on the California ballot this year. We are going to ask about 4 of them. First ... On Proposition 56, will you vote YES, to increase the tax on cigarettes to $2 per pack? Or will you vote NO, to leave the tax on cigarettes unchanged?

57% Yes On 56

35% No On 56

7% Undecided

0% Will Not Vote

12. On Proposition 62, will you vote YES, to replace the death penalty in California with life in prison? Or will you vote NO, to leave the death penalty in place?

35% Yes On 62

53% No On 62

11% Undecided

1% Will Not Vote

13. Proposition 63 is known as the Firearms and Ammunition Sales Initiative. A YES vote would require persons who want to buy ammunition to pass a background check with the California Department of Justice. And Proposition 63 would make it against the law to possess large-capacity ammunition containers, known as magazines. Will you vote YES on 63, to require background checks on ammo purchases and to make large-capacity magazines illegal? Or will you vote NO on 63, which would leave the existing system in place?

63% Yes On 63

27% No On 63

10% Undecided

0% Will Not Vote

14. Currently, medical marijuana is legal in California, but recreational marijuana is not. Proposition 64 would legalize and tax the recreational use of marijuana. Will you vote YES on Proposition 64, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana by adults age 21 and older, and which would license, regulate and tax the marijuana industry? Or, will you vote NO on 64, which would keep state laws as they now are?

51% Yes On 64

40% No On 64

8% Undecided

1% Will Not Vote

15. Is your opinion of Barack Obama... extremely favorable? Favorable? Unfavorable? Or extremely unfavorable?

39% Extremely Favorable

25% Favorable

10% Unfavorable

24% Extremely Unfavorable

1% Not Sure

16. Is your opinion of Donald Trump...

12% Extremely Favorable

17% Favorable

11% Unfavorable

56% Extremely Unfavorable

4% Not Sure

17. Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton...

20% Extremely Favorable

30% Favorable

14% Unfavorable

33% Extremely Unfavorable

4% Not Sure

18. Is your opinion of Jerry Brown...

15% Extremely Favorable

38% Favorable

18% Unfavorable

17% Extremely Unfavorable

13% Not Sure

19. Is your opinion of Dianne Feinstein...

17% Extremely Favorable

32% Favorable

19% Unfavorable

18% Extremely Unfavorable

13% Not Sure

20. Is your opinion of Barbara Boxer...

17% Extremely Favorable

32% Favorable

16% Unfavorable

21% Extremely Unfavorable

15% Not Sure

21. Here are 6 issues important to some voters but not to others. In deciding who to support for President, please tell me if a particular issue is ... extremely important, important, unimportant, or extremely unimportant. First, immigration. In deciding who you support for President, is immigration ...

45% Extremely Important

42% Important

8% Unimportant

2% Extremely Unimportant

2% Not Sure

22. Next, terrorism. In deciding who you support for President, if terrorism is ...

64% Extremely Important

28% Important

4% Unimportant

2% Extremely Unimportant

1% Not Sure

23. Next, Supreme Court appointments. In deciding who you support for President, if Supreme Court appointments are...

56% Extremely Important

32% Important

7% Unimportant

1% Extremely Unimportant

4% Not Sure

24. The environment. If the environment is...

46% Extremely Important

40% Important

10% Unimportant

3% Extremely Unimportant

1% Not Sure

25. Treatment of racial minorities. If the treatment of racial minorities is... ?

45% Extremely Important

39% Important

10% Unimportant

4% Extremely Unimportant

2% Not Sure

26. Treatment of gays, lesbians, and transgender persons. If the treatment of the GLBT community is... ?

34% Extremely Important

36% Important

18% Unimportant

9% Extremely Unimportant

3% Not Sure

27. In the community where you live, do the police treat everyone the same? Or, are the police tougher on some groups than others?

54% Treat Everyone The Same

29% Tougher On Some Groups

17% Not Sure

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