In another blow to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
already-tarnished public image, three of the four propositions
backed by the governor looked as if they would be defeated by
voters in Tuesday’s special election, with the fourth too
close to call.
As of midnight Tuesday with 75 percent of precincts reporting,
all eight propositions on the ballot ““ including the
governor’s pet Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77 ““ trailed
in the polls in what analysts say represents a shift in Sacramento
politics.
Proposition 75, which requires public-employee unions to get
permission from its members before using union dues to support
political causes, was the item on the governor’s reform
agenda in the tightest race, with 50.9 percent voting
“no” to 49.1 percent voting “yes.”
Though the centerpiece of Schwarzenegger’s reform
proposals ““ Proposition 76’s plan to restrict state
spending ““ went down to defeat with over 60.2 percent voting
“no,” the passage of Proposition 75 could still deal a
blow to Democratic leaders.
In a televised speech from the Beverly Hilton at about 10:15
p.m., when Proposition 75 was still leading, Schwarzenegger spoke
of the partisan infighting that he said hampered the election, but
he was reluctant to say anything concrete about the election
results.
“I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t really
tell you how much we should smile. I can’t tell you
’cause we don’t have all the results in yet,”
Schwarzenegger said.
“We need reform, we need change, but the people of
California are tired of all the political fighting,” he
said.
Opponents of Schwarzenegger’s initiatives claimed victory
Tuesday night as election results poured in, and many continued
their criticism of the special election.
“The governor needs to apologize and say to the people of
California that he has wasted their money, he has wasted their
time,” said Barbara Kerr, president of the California
Teachers Association in a televised interview. Kerr was a vocal
opponent of Schwarzenegger on several initiatives.
The governor has recently drawn the ire of many who said the $50
million election, the most expensive initiative election in state
history, was unnecessary.
Schwarzenegger, who was voted into office on promises of
reforming state government, asked voters this week to give him the
“tools to reform the system” by voting
“yes” on a number of propositions that would have
affected teacher employment, union dues, state spending and voting
districts. But since June, when he first called for the special
election, Schwarzenegger’s once-soaring approval ratings have
taken a nosedive.
According to a Nov. 2 Los Angeles Times poll, 57 percent of
voters disapprove of the way the governor is handling his job. In
that poll, 50 percent disapprove of Schwarzenegger calling for the
special election compared with 34 percent who approve.
A positive outcome for Schwarzenegger’s propositions would
have given him momentum toward reelection, but with rejections of
all the propositions, analysts say Schwarzenegger and his reform
plans will likely remain mired in its current slump.
In addition to Propositions 74 through 77, the other measures on
the ballot included Proposition 73, which would have required
parental notification for minors seeking abortions; Propositions 78
and 79, which were concerned with prescription drug discounts; and
Proposition 80, which would have changed the regulations for
electricity providers.
Supporters of Proposition 75 argued that members of government
unions may have previously been unfairly forced to contribute to
political candidates or issues that they oppose without the
opportunity to voice their opposition.
The proposition was opposed by many Democratic lawmakers and
public employee unions because they said it would hinder
unions’ efforts to effectively contribute to political
causes.
If Proposition 75 does pass, the election would not be a total
loss for Schwarzenegger, as it would give Republicans some
additional leverage in the historically Democratic California
government.
“That’s not a trivial thing. That would siphon off a
significant source of Democratic funding, especially in state
elections,” said Matthew Baum, a UCLA political science
professor. “That would be an advantage.”
Proposition 80 fell by the largest margin, with only 34 percent
voting “yes,” compared to 66 percent who voted
“no.”
Each of Propositions 76 through 80 failed to garner more than 43
percent support.
As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the County of Los Angeles
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk reported voter turnout at around 27
percent, including absentee ballots. But the secretary of state
projected that 42 percent of registered voters would turn out
statewide. This is less than the 2003 recall election, which had
over 60 percent turnout.
The low turnout may reflect a lack of knowledge of the
propositions among the voting public. And many voters tend to vote
“no” when they do not know about ballot initiatives,
Baum said.
Both Proposition 73 and 74 were passing as election results
began to come in after polls closed at 8 p.m., but the gap narrowed
until both eventually went to “no” as more results came
in.