Poll: Enthusiasm for ballot measures motivated state voters

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California’s initiative process is viewed with befuddlement around the country and blamed for many of the ills that plague state government. But this year’s election reaffirmed that voters here love their direct democracy. The 10 initiatives and one referendum on the November ballot did more to drive Golden State voters to the polls than the presidential contest, which was never much of a contest in Democratic California, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.

The survey found that 48% of Californians were more motivated to vote by one of the ballot measures than by the race between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

Just 39% of voters said they were most enthusiastic about casting their vote for president.

Among the measures, Proposition 30 was viewed by voters as the most important measure one on the ballot. A quarter of those surveyed said Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to temporarily boost taxes on sales and upper incomes was their primary reason for going to the polls.

‘It dealt with two issues – schools and taxes – that are always at the front of voters minds,’ said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC.

Proposition 30 passed with more than 54% of the vote in last week’s election, boosted by support from Democrats, who favored the measure 4-1, the survey found.

The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences /Los Angeles Times survey of 1,520 registered voters was conducted from Nov. 7-12. The survey was done by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic polling firm, in conjunction with the GOP firm American Viewpoint.

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--Anthony York in Sacramento