blog post Video: Broadening California’s Exclusive Electorate By Linda Strean Apr 1, 2016 The divide between voters and nonvoters has particular significance in California, where voters make important policy decisions through the initiative process—and at a time when economic inequality is a major theme, Mark Baldassare told a Sacramento audience.
event California’s Exclusive Electorate Mar 30, 2016 About the ProgramOnly half of California adults can be expected to vote in this year’s presidential election, and they are likely to be very different from those who do not vote—in their demographic and economic backgrounds and in their political attitudes. PPIC president and CEO Mark Baldassare will outline the findings of a new report, California’s Exclusive Electorate: Who Votes and Why It Matters. A panel of experts and leaders will discuss the challenges of improving participation in elections. This research was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
Report California’s Exclusive Electorate: Who Votes and Why It Matters By Mark Baldassare Mar 29, 2016 Only half of California's adults are likely to vote in the 2016 presidential election, and these voters do not reflect the state's diversity, attitudes, or policy preferences. Changes to the election process will bring in new voters, but broader solutions are needed — including providing civics education, increasing economic mobility, and expanding citizenship rates. This research was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
Report Putting California’s Voter Turnout in Context By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Feb 17, 2016 Record-low turnout in recent elections and lagging registration rates have spurred efforts to make voting and registration easier. This report takes an in-depth look at both the scope and the nature of the problem, and explores additional reforms that might be pursued.
blog post Inspiring Civic Engagement By Linda Strean Sep 24, 2015 What can be done to increase participation in elections and engage residents more broadly in all aspects of civic life? Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, California’s chief justice, and Alex Padilla, California secretary of state, offered their responses.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Video: Civic Engagement and Voter Turnout By Linda Strean Apr 17, 2015 What can we do to increase voter participation in California? California’s secretary of state talks about possible reforms, followed by a panel discussion among experts and elected leaders.
blog post Testimony: Building Trust in State Government By Mark Baldassare Jan 22, 2015 Californians’ distrust in state government predates the low voter turnouts of the 2014 election.
blog post California’s Secretary of State Candidates in Conversation By Linda Strean Sep 13, 2014 The two candidates running for California secretary of state bring different resumes to the campaign but found much to agree on in a conversation sponsored by PPIC Thursday.
