California poll shows people worried about threat to American democracy

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — California has no polling information from decades ago on whether people thought American democracy faced a threat, because no one thought to ask it.

Now, a poll released by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies shows 68% of Californians believe democracy faces attacks and 21% think it’s being tested. Democrats are more likely to believe it’s under attack, though 46% of Republicans shared that view.

“This is a widespread concern,” said Eric Schickler, with the university’s institute, at a Monday panel about the new poll held at UC Center Sacramento.

Schickler, along with the UCLA Voting Rights Project, state lawmakers and officials, detailed those poll results and discussed steps they’re taking to correct what they see as encroachment from the federal government.

People who said democracy faced attacks pointed to several causes, with special interests and big money at the top. President Donald Trump came in second, with congressional Republicans making third. Manipulated voter machines, along with voter fraud, were the bottom two concerns.

“This is a question nobody would have thought to ask 10 years ago,” Schickler said.

According to Schickler, about 10% of Republicans who say a threat exists pointed to Trump as being at least partially responsible for it.

How Californians viewed election integrity proved more divisive.

Nearly half of respondents (48%) called themselves extremely or very confident in the state’s integrity, while 21% said they were moderately confident and 29% lacked confidence.

Some people have tied voter integrity to showing ID at the polls. A measure that would require photo ID to vote qualified last week to be on the November ballot.

The poll queried some 6,000 people on their thoughts about that voter ID initiative. That measure, if passed at the polls, would require voters to show government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, for in-person voting. Mail voters would need to provide the last four digits of their ID.

Hearing no context about the measure, people supported it by 56%, with 39% opposed and 6% without an opinion.

However, only 39% of those polled called the measure the right approach when they heard Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio sponsored it, that DeMaio has said more security is needed to stop voter fraud and that Democrats have said it’s part of Trump’s agenda to prevent minorities from voting.

With that information, 52% called it the wrong approach.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said she didn’t know whether the Legislature would respond to DeMaio’s ballot measure with a competing proposition. She noted her office’s role is to ensure people understand both sides of the argument and inform them how it believes the measure would operate.

Weber retorted with a quip when asked if a noncitizen could vote in California.

“If you’re lying, you can do a lot of things,” the former Democratic lawmaker said. “Ask the president.”

Someone attempting to vote who couldn’t legally cast a ballot would be caught, facing criminal punishments for very small gain, she added.

Democratic lawmakers also are working toward their version of bolstering election integrity.

Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat and former election official, chairs her chamber’s Elections Committee. She’d like $35 million targeted for voter education and outreach.

“I am a self-identified election geek,” she said.

Pellerin wants clear messaging to people about the best method to return a vote-by-mail ballot. With lawsuits percolating that could affect when a mailed ballot is considered void, Pellerin advised people to mail them a week before election day.