Politics
California’s Prop. 40 billionaire levy remains below 50% in new poll
A new survey puts support for the proposed one-time tax at 46%, compared with 43% opposed, with little change from a month earlier. The numbers suggest backers have yet to turn broad sentiment for taxing billionaires more into majority support for the measure.
A proposed one-time tax on billionaires’ assets is not winning majority support among likely California voters, according to a poll released Oct. 19 as ballots begin going out across the state.
The Citrin-POLITICO survey found 46% support Proposition 40 and 43% oppose it. Those figures were essentially unchanged from a month earlier, despite a high-profile campaign push that included a Los Angeles rally with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Oct. 5.
The measure would impose a one-time tax of 5% on billionaires’ assets. Its narrow polling advantage falls short of a majority, a potential warning sign for supporters this late in the campaign, according to Jon Cohen, founder and CEO of TrueDot, which conducted the survey.
Cohen said many Californians favor making billionaires pay more, but that sentiment has not necessarily translated into votes for this particular tax. The poll results point to a challenge for initiative supporters: persuading voters to back the proposal itself, rather than simply agree with its underlying goal.