While obviously the big winner last night was House Republicans, another big winner was supporters of redistricting reform. In California and Florida, anti-gerrymandering ballot measures won by large margins. In Florida, Amendments 5 and 6, which mandate perimeters intended to prevent gerrymandering in the state legislature and congressional redistricting, both secured over 62 percent of [...]

Across the country, many Democrats are struggling. But this year in California, things seem to be going well for the Democrats at the top of the ticket. The California-based Field poll, one of the most accurate horserace pollsters, is out with their latest numbers showing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara [...]

Some good news for Democrats this cycle comes from California, where all the recent polling has shown incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer with a solid lead over Republican Carly Fiorina. SurveyUSA (10/21-25) Barbara Boxer (D) 45 Carly Fiorina (R) 40 Other 7 Undecided 8 Suffolk (10/21-24) Barbara Boxer (D) 52 Carly Fiorina (R) 43 Other [...]

Ballot measures tend to be much harder to accurately poll than partisan elections. Each initiative is a unique question with its own quirky set of parameters regarding which demographics and psychographics are most likely to support or oppose it. In comparison, all partisan elections between a Democrat and Republican are, at a core level, fairly [...]

In addition to highly contested gubernatorial and senate contests, the voters of California will be deciding several of the most important ballot initiatives in the country. From PPIC (PDF): Proposition 19 16. Proposition 19 is called the “Legalizes Marijuana Under California but Not Federal Law. Permits Local Governments to Regulate and Tax Commercial Production, Distribution, [...]

As election day fast approaches, almost every contested Senate race seems to be tightening.  There are now currently nine Senate race where at least one public poll has found the race within the margin of error. The trend continues with new polls out of the Washington and California. Washington State McClatchy-Marist (PDF) (10/14-17) Patty Murray [...]

Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in California, is still holding on to a very narrow lead according to a new SurveyUSA poll. SurveyUSA (10/15-10/18) California voters may also vote on several propositions. On Proposition 19, which would change California law to legalize marijuana and allow it to be regulated and [...]

With Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana, on the California ballot, the big political question is: can the initiative be a driver of voter turnout ? This is not only important for the success or failure of the ballot measure, but could potentially affect both the highly contested California governor and Senate [...]

In addition to deciding the makeup of Congress, selecting several governors, and a weighing a host of local races, voters across the country will be voting on 159 statewide ballot measures, of which about 60 are more interesting than bland bond measures. Of these propositions, there are a handful that I believe could have a national or even international impact.

In California, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and incumbent Democratic senator Barbara Boxer both hold single-digit leads over their Republican opponents according to the latest SurveyUSA poll of likely voters. SurveyUSA (9/30-10/3) Governor Jerry Brown (D) 47 Meg Whitman (R) 43 Other 8 Undecided 2 Senate Barbara Boxer (D) 46 Carly Fiorina (R) 43 Other [...]