Big spending hasn't translated into big leads for the campaigns for two ballot measures up for vote in tomorrow's primary, according to a SurveyUSA poll released today.
The phone survey of 1,250 Californians who either have voted already or plan to vote found that voters are still split on Propositions 16 and 17, two measures that have pit well-financed support campaigns against relatively cash-strapped opposition efforts.
Pacific Gas & Electric, has poured about $46 million into its campaign for Proposition 16, the constitutional amendment that would require two-thirds voter approval on proposals for a public utility to expand services to new customers or new territories using public funds or bonds.
That's more than 460 times the cash raised by opponents and nearly two-thirds of the total money raised for and against measures on the June ballot.
Still, the poll found that while 41 percent said they were certain they would vote yes on Prop 16, 45 percent were certain they would vote no and 14 percent were undecided.
On Proposition 17, the Mercury Insurance-bankrolled measure to allow auto insurers to consider a motorist's coverage history in determining rates, 43 percent said they were certain they would vote yes, 39 percent certain they would vote no and 18 percent undecided. Mercury has funded the measure to the tune of $16 million. Opponents in that race have collected about $1.5 million.
The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points, found 20-plus point margins of support for Propositions 13 and 14, measures addressing seismic retrofitting regulations and a top-two primary system. Proposition 15, which would create a pilot program for using public financing in the secretary of state race, was opposed by 46 percent of voters surveyed.
The poll also asked Californians about the pick for the lieutenant governor post.
Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado had the edge among likely GOP voters, leading chief rival Sen. Sam Aanestad, of Penn Valley, 26 percent to 16 percent among the 509 GOP voters polled.
In the Democrats' race, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom posted a 16-point lead on Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, 43 percent to 27 percent, among the 609 Democrats polled who had either already voted or plan to vote.
The margin of error for both lieutenant governor questions was just over 4 points.
See the full survey here.
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