California voters deep rift on wealth tax exposed as voter ID heads for troubled waters: New poll

California remains a state divided on two controversial measures to be decided by voters in November.Neither Proposition 39 nor 40 cracked 50% support majority approval just three months before the election, according to a UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll released Friday.Prop 40, the one-time billionaire tax, got 48% support in the poll compared to 41% who opposed.

About 11% are undecided.“It’s got an early lead, but it’s not a very large lead, and it’s not a majority,” poll director Mark DiCamillo told the Times.“Usually, for ballot propositions, you want the yes side to be above 50%, and that’s not where it is right now.”The proposed tax has split Democrats, with many labor groups backing it as a way to offshore federal health cuts but prominent figures like Gov.

Gavin Newsom worrying it will destroy the state’s economy.It’s especially important for Prop 40 to garner as many “yes” votes it can as billionaires like Sergey Brin have poured money into competing ballot initiatives that may override it.Typically, the initiative that gets the most votes is the one that goes into effect.“There’s going to be a lot of campaigning, apparently on the no side especially.

So we’ll see,” DiCamillo said on the changing dynamics.“But you know, I think it’s confusing to voters in some ways.”According to the poll, the billionaire tax is seeing stronger support from younger Californians.

Minorities, women and lower-income voters were also more likely to back it than white voters, men and those who earn at least $200,000 annually.Meanwhile, Prop 39, the initiative that would require strong identification rules to vote, is facing more troubling numbers, according to the poll.Over half of California’s likely voters oppose the ballot measure, while 42% support it.The divide among Prop 39 is more clearly partisan, with 80% of Democrats opposing it and 90% of Republicans supporting it.

However, unaffiliated voters were not in favor by a 54% t...