Students react to outcomes of California ballot measures
Students expressed concern and confusion about the future of California politics.
By ASIANA GUANG
During the 2024 presidential election, California voters weighed in on several ballot measures, with results released as early as Nov. 8.
On this year’s ballot, voters were tasked with deciding on critical issues, including crime, prison labor, same-sex marriage and rent control. As of press time, five propositions have passed, three have failed and two remain undecided.
Aayushi Garg, a freshman majoring in public policy, said she was disappointed to see the proposition results suggesting a potential conservative shift in California. She was especially concerned about the failure of Proposition 6, which is projected to fail and is currently sitting at 53.4% of votes against. The proposition would have eliminated the California constitutional provision allowing involuntary servitude for incarcerated persons.
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“We built ourselves on the idea that no one should work for no money, or you shouldn’t force people to do labor, right?” Garg said. “And I don’t necessarily think that just because you committed a crime, that your right to being a free person or having free will should be taken away from you.”
Mindy Romero, a research assistant professor at the Price School of Public Policy, said that the language used in the proposition may have contributed to the opposition.
“I think if the word ‘slavery’ had been used, for instance, instead of ‘indentured [servitude],’ it might have been clearer to people,” Romero said.
Proposition 32, an initiative to raise the minimum wage to $17 for employers with 25 or fewer employees and $18 for employers with more than 25 employees for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 and $18 an hour starting in January 2026, is one of two that remains too close to call as of press time. Approximately hundreds of thousands of votes are still left to be tallied as of Nov. 18.
Isaiah Sangkay, a freshman majoring in psychology, said this ballot measure presented a nuanced issue because its passing could benefit him but might cause people to worry about inflation rates.
“As someone that is a low-income college student, I think it will make sense to increase the minimum wage to $18 because, already, food workers are making 20 bucks ever since April,” Sangkay said. “However, I understand that people have a lot of worries about money and whatnot, especially in this economic and housing crisis that we have today.”
Proposition 33, which would have allowed cities to impose stricter or broader rent control measures, failed, becoming the third time tenant advocates have failed to pass similar measures since 2018.
Romero said that Proposition 33 was confusing to voters, and there was even concern among affordable housing organizations about this proposition having a negative impact.
Garg said this proposition was confusing while filling out her ballot because her research led to conflicting opinions about whether Proposition 33 would genuinely decrease housing costs in California. Although she voted in favor of it, she said Proposition 33 proves the uncertainty of the proposition system.
“This is definitely one that I think is quite complicated and might be an example of how the proposition system is not always the best way to get things done,” Garg said.
Proposition 36, which allows felony charges and increased sentences for certain drug and theft crimes, is currently passing by over 5 million votes.
Abbe Pingol, a senior majoring in pharmacology and drug development, said that when he was reading about Proposition 36 before making his vote, he thought it could make people less inclined to commit crimes but believes rehabilitation should still be the priority.
“People, I guess, would be more disciplined,” Pingol said. “I personally voted against it because I really think that we shouldn’t be prioritizing criminalization. I think we should be prioritizing rehabilitation instead of criminalization.”
Garg said that there should be better approaches to addressing theft and drug-related crimes.
“There are so many better ways you could deal with this and actually rehabilitate these people instead of putting them into a punitive system where they’re totally going to reoffend,” Garg said. “Recidivism rates are not going to be any better if you put them in jail.”
Romero said the response to Proposition 36 is a product of the perceived increase in crime.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily what some people are interpreting as a reversal right in California,” Romero said. “I think this is a reaction, largely, to retail theft — the smash and grabs that have gotten a lot of attention.”
Two propositions — Proposition 32, with 50.8% yes votes and 40.2% no votes, and Proposition 34, with 50.8% yes votes and 49.3% no votes — still remain too close to call with just 6% of votes left to be counted.
