California Poll Reveals Voting Preferences
New Poll Finds Majority of Californians Want Proof-of-Citizenship Requirement Before Registering to Vote
A recent poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) has found that a vast majority of Californians support requiring proof of citizenship before registering to vote for the first time. The survey revealed that 71% of respondents want this requirement in place, with proof being accepted as a passport, REAL ID driver's license, or some other form of government-issued ID.
Breakdown by Party
- 95% of Republicans approved the policy.
- 71% of no-party preference voters supported the requirement.
- 59% of Democrats agreed with the policy.
The poll found that 88% of Republicans approved of requiring proof of citizenship before every vote, but only 54% of no-party preference Californians and 37% of Democrats shared this view.
Mail-in Ballot Prohibition When asked if respondents approved of prohibiting the counting of mail-in ballots after election day even if they are postmarked by election day, only 26% of Californians agreed, while 68% opposed. However, 57% of Republicans supported this change.
Trust in Election System The poll revealed that despite a majority of Californians trusting the state's election system (68%), there is a significant distrust among Republican voters. A majority of Republicans have no confidence in the integrity of California's election system (61%) and believe that voter fraud is prevalent.
According to IGS Co-Director Mark DiCamillo, "The two parties remain polarized regarding basic questions about the democratic process in the U.S., with voters disagreeing sharply about the extent of voter fraud. Bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting, which California and other states are suing to block." DiCamillo also stated that "My biggest takeaway is the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which should be a serious concern for state elections officials, even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite."