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Proposition 8 Post-Election California Voter Survey. Prepared by David Binder Research. Conducted November 6 th - 16 th , 2008. Research Methodology.
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Proposition 8Post-Election California Voter Survey Prepared by David Binder Research Conducted November 6th - 16th, 2008
800 voters living in California who voted in the November 2008 election, plus an additional oversample of 266 Asian, Latino, and African American voters. Methodology Respondents Margin of Error Margin of error: 3.0% Poll was conducted November 6th to 16th, 2008. Dates 3
Summary Findings: Overall OverallResults • Proposition 8 was passed on November 4, 2008 by a margin of 52% to 48% by a margin of about 600,000 votes out of 1.3 million votes cast. • Two areas of the state stood out: The Central Valley counties overwhelmingly supported the measure by 71%-29%, while the more populous Bay Area was strongly opposed (39%-61%). However, the Southern California counties which comprise 55% of the total vote supported Prop 8 by 54% to 46%. In Los Angeles County, 69% voted for Barack Obama for President, but slightly less than 50% voted no on Proposition 8 – a gap of 19 percentage points (compared to a 13 point differential statewide). 5
Summary Findings: Demographics ResultsbySubgroup • Political ideology was the factor that corresponded most highly to the Proposition 8 vote, with 22% of liberals voting yes on 8, compared to 51% of moderates and 82% of conservatives. • Election day exit polls that showed 70% of African American voters supporting Proposition 8 appear incorrect. Our survey shows 58% of Blacks voting for 8. Precincts in Southern California’s most concentrated areas of African American voters – Carson and Compton – show 65% support for Prop 8. Predominately African American precincts in other areas of LA County and in San Francisco showed support in the low-to-mid 50 percent range. • The factor next most important in determining vote on Prop 8, after ideology, was religion, with voters who worship regularly being strongly more likely to support Prop 8, by a 70% to 30%, while those who worship less often voted 38% to 62% against Prop 8. Blacks and Latinos who worship less than once a week opposed Prop 8. 6
Summary Findings: Reasons for Vote and Influencers • Supporters of Prop 8 most frequently cited their view that marriage is between a man and a woman. • Secondarily, Prop 8 supporters disclosed religious reasons as motive for their support. • Opponents of Prop 8 most frequently cited their view that same sex marriage was an issue of civil rights and equal rights, as well as their view that everyone should have the freedom to marry the person of their choosing. • Most voters stated they were most influenced by discussions with friends, family and coworkers. This pool of voters opposed Proposition 8. • About one-quarter said they had a strong personal opinion on the issue that was not swayed by other communications. This pool voted yes. • About 8% said they were swayed by the church. This pool voted yes by 94% to 6%. Reasonsfor Vote Influ-encers 7
Summary Findings: Communications TV ads • Among the yes on 8 ads, the message that stood out was that Prop 8 will cause the teaching of same sex marriage in schools. • Among the no on 8 ads, most saw the ad featuring Senator Dianne Feinstein. • The ads with Feinstein and Sam and Julia Thoron were statistically more likely to cause a no vote than were other ads. The History ad narrated by Samuel L. Jackson was also convincing. • Vast majority of voters said mail and telephone calls were not influential. • Only 5% visited official campaign websites, but those who visited the no on 8 website rated it more influential than visitors to the yes site. • About 10% said they received information from a church, and 49% felt this information was convincing – a much higher proportion than other sources, such as labor unions, newspaper editorials and television ads. OtherCommu-nicationsources 8
Summary Findings: Messaging Messa-ging • Only about 17% of yes on 8 voters could name something tangible that could cause them to change their mind and support same sex marriage, including: • Call marriage by another name • Ensure that same sex marriage will not be taught in schools • Ensure that churches will not be forced to perform same sex marriages • Approval, or lack of formal opposition, from churches or religious leaders 9
California Election ResultsNovember 4, 2008 Gap between Obama vote and No on 8 vote was 1.8 million, or 14%
Prop 8 vs Obama Prop 8 Map – 52% Yes vs 48% No Presidential Vote -- 61% Obama vs 37% McCain 12
LA County had 19% difference between vote for Obama and vote against Prop 8 Other Southern California: Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura Central Valley: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare Sacramento / Tahoe: Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, SF, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma Central Coast: Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz Inland / Mountains / Other: Alpine, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity,. Tuolumne, Yuba 13
Prop 8 generated far more interest than any other state proposition Which one of the 12 state propositions on the November 4th ballot were you most interested in? 14 Source: PPIC Statewide Survey, Dec 2008
The outcome of Prop 8 was more important to Yes voters than No voters As you may know, Proposition 8 passed. How important to you is the outcome of the vote on Proposition 8? • % Very Important • Evangelical Christians: 77% (vs all others: 61%) • Women: 69% (vs Men: 60%) • Latinos: 67% • Overall: 65% • Whites: 64% 15 Source: PPIC Statewide Survey, Dec 2008
Prop 8 by gender % voting yes 17
Prop 8 by gender and family status % voting yes 18
Prop 8 by age % voting yes 19
Prop 8 by ethnicity % voting Yes 20
Prop 8 by party % voting yes 21
There is a direct correspondence between voters’ self-placement on an ideological scale and the percent supporting Proposition 8 % voting yes
Prop 8 by religion % voting yes 23
Prop 8 by frequency of worship % voting yes 24
Prop 8 by education level % voting Yes Source: media exit poll 25
Prop 8 by presidential vote % voting Yes 26
Prop 8 by knowledge of LGBT people % voting Yes 27
Yes voters are driven by the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman What are the reasons why you voted YES on Proposition 8?BASE: Those voting YES 29 Q8 N=549
No voters are driven by belief in equal rights and freedom to choose whom to marry What are the reasons why you voted NO on Proposition 8?BASE: Those voting NO 30 Q9 N=515
Majority of voters were most influenced by discussions with friends and family and their personal opinion, while 8% were most influenced by religion. Which of the following was the most influential to you when deciding how to vote on Proposition 8? 31 Q12 (N=1066)
Voters influenced by discussions more likely to vote no, voters influenced by the religion more likely to vote yes Which of the following was the most influential to you when deciding how to vote on Proposition 8? % voting Yes 32 Q12 (N=1066)
Ads, mail & discussions with friends and family had the greatest reach. Phone calls and newspaper endorsements also had strong reach. 34 Q28-34 (N=1066)
While about one-third of voters report receiving a phone call about Prop 8, 95% say it wasn’t effective Q63 (N=1066)
Seeing gay couples being married on TV did not significantly affect the vote on Proposition 8 Have you ever seen same sex couples get married on the news or on television? (IF YES:) Did that make you more likely to vote YES on 8, more likely to vote NO on 8, or did it make no difference to you? Q63 (N=1066)
About 69% saw a Yes on 8 ad, but only 18% found them convincing Q63 (N=1066)
The Yes on 8 ad most frequently recalled is about the teaching of same sex marriage in schools. Can you describe for me one television ad for yes on 8 that you remember that was convincing? 38 Q27 (N=549)
No on 8 Ads Seen: Dianne seen by most Percent recall seeing ad 39 Q28-34 (N=1066)
No on 8 Ads Seen: Among viewers, Thoron ad is more convincing 32 36 43 32 31 33 34 40 Q28-34 (N=1066)
Voters who saw Dianne and Thoron are more likely to have voted no on Prop 8. *Significant at the .001 level in logistic regression analysis 41 Q28-34 (N=1066)
Majority of voters believed that Prop 8 would preserve traditional marriage All Voters 43 Q49-58 (N=1066)
Majority of voters agree that it is wrong to eliminate constitutional right of equal protection and that Prop 8 was unfair, unnecessary and wrong All Voters 44 Q49-58 (N=1066)
9% voted YES, but believe that Prop 8 is unfair, unnecessary, and wrong. Regression analysis indicates they were motivated by the belief that Prop 8 will preserve traditional marriage & stop the teaching of same sex marriage in school. Yes voters who believe Prop 8 is unfair, unnecessary, wrong *Significant at the .0005 level in logistic regression analysis 45 Q49-58 (N=95)
73% of yes voters say there is nothing that could change their mind. 7% want same sex marriage to be called something else. Some people voted no on Proposition 8 because they believe it’s wrong to deny gay people the ability to get married. Is there anything that could change your mind and lead you to support the freedom to marry for everyone some day? What?) 46 Q64 N=549