Poll: Californians Largely Favor Lawmakers Who Backed Reform
A significant percentage of California voters support the new national health reform law and would be more likely to support candidates who voted for it, according to a new survey conducted by the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The poll found that 46% of California voters said they would be more likely to vote for a politician who supported reform legislation. About 29% of voters said they would be less likely to support such a candidate.
When asked how a lawmaker's support for health reform would influence their vote in November:
- 35% of respondents said they would be "much more likely" to vote for a lawmaker who supported reform;Â Â
- 20% said they would be "much less likely";
- 19% said it would not affect their support;
- 11% said they would be "somewhat more likely";
- 9% said they would be "somewhat less likely"; and
- 5% said they did not know.
The poll found that 48% of independent voters said they would be more likely to support a representative or senator who voted in favor of the health reform legislation. Twenty-three percent of independent voters said they would be less likely to support the politician.
The poll also found that 41% of respondents believe they or their families will benefit from the legislation during the next few years, while 47% said they do not expect to benefit.
Direction of California, U.S.
About 82% of survey respondents said they believe California is headed in the wrong direction, while 55% believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction.
Investigators said Californians' support for the health reform bill could be contributing to their positive views on the federal government, while disillusionment over the state's budget situation could be adding to their negative views on California.
Methodology, Survey Population
For the poll, Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Republican firm American Viewpoint surveyed 1,515 registered California voters from March 23 through March 30.
Eleven percent of respondents said they had no health coverage, including 14% of those between ages 18 and 64.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points (Halper, Los Angeles Times, 4/4). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.