(Photo illustration: RedDaxLuma, via Shutterstock)CA120: This month has seen the release of dozens of new public polls, ranging from the presidential contest to statewide and local races. We have seen many of these publicly available surveys, but the vast majority of polling is still private – done by candidates and political action committees. It is rarely shared with those outside a very small circle of candidates and consultants.
Youngsters in a California classroom. (Photo: Monkey Business Images, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The clock is ticking for our kids. Within a few weeks, The State Board of Education will determine many K-12 school accountability provisions in our education system for decades to come.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky. (Photo: Jason Doiy/The Recorder via AP)To further explore the issue of Judge Persky’s possible recall, we conducted a poll of 776 registered voters within the county who would be passing judgement on a recall if it were to qualify for a future ballot. And, rather than a few loud voices of protest, our poll finds that two-thirds (67%) of Santa Clara County voters support a recall. Women, and especially younger women, are at the center of the storm with a more than 4-to-1 support.
A California ballot box. (Photo illustration, Hafakot, via Shutterstock)The growth in voter registration in the past five months has been record-breaking. With some counties still completing their 15-day close of registration, we have surpassed all prior registration records with more than 2.3 million voters registering for the first time or updating their registration. This despite some high rates of counties purging deadwood from the files and making “inactive” large numbers of voters who have not participated in past elections.
Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton at a May 5 East Los Angeles College rally, Monterey Park. (Photo: Joseph Sohm)As speculation grows about Hillary Clinton’s choice for a VP running mate, one name keeps popping up, at least in California – Congressman Xavier Becerra, 58, who was born and raised in Sacramento.
Voters casting ballots in Ventura County during an earlier election. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, Shutterstock)As we enter the June primary, we have an electorate that has been seen in polling to be more energized and with a desire to vote more commonly in general elections. The last time we had anything close to this kind of engagement was during the 2008 presidential primary. Since then, we have seen a 35% growth in No Party Preference registrations and an 88% spike in the number of Permanent Absentee Voters. In total, the population of non-partisan voters who get their ballots by mail has nearly tripled.
A VW bus converted to electric power, displayed last year in Beverly Hills. (Photo: Phil Pilosian)If you’ve ever been behind the wheel of an electric vehicle, you know that they’re really fun to drive. Many Californians have discovered the joys of electric drive, as our state is nearing 200,000 plug-in vehicles sold, and accounted for more than half of all the EVs sold in the U.S. last year. But we need to ramp up sales of these advanced technology vehicles in order to clean up our air, reduce our dangerous dependency on petroleum, and stabilize the climate.
Stock vector illustration, via Shutterstock.With the release of official voter registration numbers this week, the focus has been on the continued decline in Republican registration and growth in Independent voters. The stories, for the most part, treat these two factors as directly related, like two ends of a see-saw. As Republicans lose ground, independents grow and common wisdom within California’s political class jumps to the causal link. However, looking closer at the data, there are two significant factors that should temper this quick rush to judgement.
Hector Barajas, expert on California Latino politics and a veteran campaign consultant. (Photo: Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly)Welcome to Round Three of the Capitol Weekly Podcast: Tim Foster and John Howard chat with veteran political strategist Hector Barajas, an expert on Latino politics and a person who is going to be very, very busy this year. Click here
Latinos taking the Pledge of Allegiance in Los Angeles. (Photo: Spirit of America)California is no longer on track to become a majority Latino state – at least not before 2060, according to projections from the state Department of Finance. Demographic estimates are constantly updated, but recent projections about the state’s population had us becoming a majority Latino state before the middle of this century.