New Field Poll Finds Voters Unaware of Initiatives on Nov. Ballot
Nearly half of voters are aware of Proposition 4, a measure on the Nov. 4 California ballot that would require parents to be notified before a minor undergoes an abortion, according to a new Field Poll, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Voters rejected similar ballot initiatives in 2005 and 2006, possibly accounting for wider public knowledge of the initiative than of the other four ballot measures addressed in the poll, according to the Chronicle (Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).
Forty-five percent of respondents said they had heard of the parental notification measure, almost double the percentage for the next-highest measure, Proposition 11, dealing with legislative redistricting.
According to the poll, 48% of respondents said they would vote in favor of the parental notification measure, 39% said they would oppose it and 13% said they were undecided (Field Poll, 7/22).
Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll, said, "This is a poll taken 3 1/2 months before the election, and the level of awareness is fairly typical." He added, "Voters haven't heard of many of the measures or even thought about voting on them."
The poll was based on a telephone survey of 672 likely voters from July 8 to July 14. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.6 percentage points (San Francisco Chronicle, 7/22).
The Sacramento Bee posted the Field Poll online.