California Voters Sour on Billionaire Tax, Divided on Voter ID, Poll Shows

A majority of California voters now oppose a proposed one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires, with 52.6% against the measure and 34.5% in support, according to a new poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for The California Post. The remaining 11.5% of voters remain undecided.

The proposed Proposition 40, which aims to fund healthcare initiatives, faces growing opposition. Pollster John McLaughlin attributed the shift to voter distrust of Sacramento politicians regarding taxes and concerns about affordability. "Voters just don’t trust Sacramento politicians when it comes to taxes. Whenever pollsters ask should we raise taxes on billionaires? People say why not but naturally when we ask should they raise taxes on you? People say no- especially when affordability is the top issue," McLaughlin stated. He also noted that messaging highlighting the measure's potential loopholes, which could affect more than just billionaires and become a recurring tax, is resonating with voters.

A previous poll by the Citrin Center-Politico released last week showed a narrower margin, with 46% supporting Proposition 40 and 43% opposed.

Prominent billionaires have actively campaigned against the proposed tax. Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, has reportedly spent over $100 million to oppose the measure, aiming to avoid an estimated $13.3 billion tax liability. Brin's net worth is estimated at around $267 billion, and he recently contributed an additional $20 million to Build a Better California, an organization opposing the billionaire tax.

Meanwhile, Proposition 39, a measure requiring government-issued identification for in-person voting and verification for mail-in ballots, is almost evenly divided. The California Post poll found 45.6% support and 47.8% opposition, with 5.9% undecided.

"The voter ID measure has exposed a sharp partisan divide, with 91% of Republicans supporting it and 76% of Democrats opposing it," McLaughlin said. He suggested that the measure's official ballot title, which warns it "prohibits citizens from voting" without identification, might be influencing public opinion. The divide is further amplified by recent federal actions targeting voter fraud, including the arrest of individuals suspected of non-citizen voting. Operation Protect the Vote led to the apprehension of over two dozen non-citizens accused of fraudulent voter registration and illegal voting in past elections, marking one of the largest such operations in the state.

California voters will head to the polls on November 3.