Voters appear to be rejecting Proposition 6 in California, a measure to end involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. To some, Proposition 6 was known as the “End Slavery Act” in California, a measure to end involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. In recent elections, voters in conservative states like Alabama and Tennessee had already ended involuntary servitude in their prisons. But from the ballot counts coming in, it seems as though California voters are rejecting a similar proposal. Proposition 6 was failing by nearly 10 percentage points after election night counting, despite facing little vocal opposition. The measure would amend the state constitution to prevent inmates from being forced into labor as punishment.
Ultimately, the ballot language, which primarily used the term “involuntary servitude,” may have failed to compel voters or make clear that the question was, simply, about ending a form of slavery, said Mark Baldassare, the longtime poll director at the Public Policy Institute of California. “In concept, people might support this idea, but they didn’t get the signals to line up behind it,” Baldassare said. Others state lawmakers saw the measure’s poor performance as an indication of a rightward shift in California on criminal justice that left progressive DAs ousted and stiffened penalties on retail theft and drug possession. It also may not have captured voter interest. In polling conducted in September and October by the Public Policy Institute of California, only 41 percent of those surveyed indicated that they would support the measure, an early sign that it was likely headed toward defeat.
Comentários