Californians Cast Recall "Votes" in Stanford University/Knowledge Networks Survey Schwarzenegger has wide lead in closest approximation to date of ballot voters will use on decision day Menlo Park, CA; September 10, 2003: In conjunction with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Knowledge Networks has used its projectable Web-enabled panel to conduct a survey of likely California voters that closely approximates the daunting ballot they will face in the state's October 7th special recall election. As on the actual ballot, the Stanford/Knowledge Networks poll asked voters whether they favor the recall of Governor Gray Davis. The survey then presented the official list of 135 replacement candidates to choose from. The new poll of 528 likely and registered voters was conducted August 29th to September 8th and shows Californians favoring the recall of the Governor by 62% to 38% (with a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points). Evidencing a strong split along party lines, 91% of Republicans compared to 42% of Democrats favor recalling the Governor. Among the replacement candidates, the survey found that Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger has a commanding lead over his main rival, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, by a margin of 40% to 28%. Only 3% of Republicans indicated that they will vote for Bustamante; but 19% of Democrats said they would vote for Schwarzenegger. The runners-up are Republican Sen. Tom McClintock (8%), Republican Peter Ueberroth (7%), Independent Arianna Huffington (1%), and unspecified write-in candidates (7%). Bill Simon, who has withdrawn from the race but will still be on the ballot, collected 2%. For more detailed results and information on the methodology, please view the appendix at www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp/calisurvey1.pdf. The Stanford/Knowledge Networks survey is the first to ask voters to choose from the same list of 135 candidates that they will see on election day. Previous polls have restricted voters' choices to the top candidates and have allowed respondents to select "undecided" or similar options. The Hoover Institution, founded at Stanford University in 1919 by Herbert Hoover, who went on to become the 31st president of the United States, is an interdisciplinary research center for advanced study on domestic public policy and international affairs, with an internationally renowned archives. Lead Hoover/Stanford researchers on the ballot study were
- Shanto Iyengar, Professor of Communication and Political Science, Chairman of the Department of Communication, Stanford University
- Morris Fiorina, Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution and Wendt Family Professor of Political Science, Stanford University
- David W. Brady, Senior Fellow and Associate Director of Research, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Knowledge Networks is the leader in high-quality, innovative market research. The company's unique Internet platform allows for quick turnaround of results and for the use of high-quality video and audio in surveys. In conjunction with its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and analytics, Knowledge Networks uses its consumer panel and other resources to provide insights on consumer behavior and opinions. In addition to government and social policy work, Knowledge Networks specialties include media, brand health, segmentation, and research on pricing, product configuration and advertising. For more information on KN's extensive practice in government, academic, and non-profit research, go to www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp. For more information, contact: J. Michael Dennis, VP and Managing Director, Government and Academic Research (650) 289-2160 mdennis@knowledgenetworks.com or David W. Brady, Senior Fellow and Associate Director of Research, Hoover Institution, Stanford University (650) 723-9702 brady@hoover.stanford.edu
|