News & Updates - California Business Roundtable and Pepperdine University School of Public Policy Launch Innovative Polling Series
Survey will track voter attitudes, trends on ballot initiatives moving toward November
(MALIBU, CA, July 18, 2012) — The California Business Roundtable and the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy today announced they will release the first results in an innovative polling series Thursday. The series, designed to track voter attitudes and opinions on the major initiatives moving toward November’s election, uses the latest technology to simulate the context in which voters are able to read and consider all prospective initiatives before voting by mail or at the polls on Election Day. Initial results will be announced Thursday morning, followed by a teleconference to discuss results.
“Californians will decide major public policy issues such as taxes, budget processes, capital punishment and campaign finance at the ballot box. To better inform our members, the general public and opinion leaders on voter opinion and trends, we are using the most up-to-date survey technology to track how it shifts over the course of the upcoming campaigns,” said Rob Lapsley, President, California Business Roundtable. “We appreciate our partnership with the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and M4 Strategies on this series.”
“M4’s innovative ballot mirroring approach closely simulates the voters’ actual experience when they vote by mail or at a polling place,” said Dr. Michael A. Shires, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. “We are confident these surveys will allow us to accurately depict Californians’ attitudes toward the initiatives and candidates on the fall ballot.”
The twice-monthly polling will track likely voters opinions on the statewide initiative campaigns and will also include Presidential and U.S. Senate campaigns. Full results of the poll will be available at https://www.cbrt.org and http://publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu.
News media and members of the public are invited to participate in a teleconference Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. to learn how voters currently view the eleven initiatives set for the November ballot.
WHO:
Rob Lapsley, President, California Business Roundtable
Dr. Michael A. Shires, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
Dr. Chris Condon, Ph.D., M4 Research
WHAT: Teleconference
WHEN: Thursday, July 19, 2012
WHERE: (888) 437-3179
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
About the methodology: M4 strategies conducted an online opinion poll of 800 likely California General Election voters from July 16 to July 17, 2012. Participants viewed the “ballot initiative” page and recorded how they are inclined to vote given the current information, including a review of the Title and Summary created by the Attorney General. As ballot arguments and other information become available from the Secretary of State it will be included in future surveys, including a Spanish-language version of the ballot.
When taking the survey, participants were able, and encouraged, to review all of the qualified ballot initiatives before voting. This instrument design is intended to simulate the context in which voters are able to read and consider all prospective initiatives before voting by mail or at the polls on Election Day. The survey can be viewed here.