In December 2023, Vera Action commissioned a survey of voters in California from David Binder Research to find out what matters to them on crime and safety. You can read an in-depth analysis here. 

Here are some main takeaways:

Crime remains a high priority for voters in California. Among respondents, 88 percent are concerned about crime, ranking below only the cost of living (95 percent), homelessness (93 percent), and the economy (91 percent). 

Voters aren’t hearing from both parties equally on crime and safety issues. California voters hear about crime “a lot” from Republicans over Democrats by a margin of almost three to one. While this silence is deadly, the polling shows that Democrats can not only make up the volume gap but also even win on this issue when drawing a contrast between their “real solutions” to prevent crime and the GOP’s “extreme agenda.”

What candidates and elected officials say on crime matters. Democrats must draw a contrast based on who is serious about safety and attack “tough-on-crime” MAGA extremism. In the survey, 51 percent of California voters sided with a Democratic message that centered safety as a core value, focused on “real solutions” to prevent crime before it can happen, and attacked Republicans for having an extreme MAGA-aligned agenda. Only 42 percent preferred a GOP approach that attacked Democrats as weak on crime and called for “tougher” policies and stricter penalties.

Proposals that are serious about safety win over California Democrats and independents. When asked what they believe would decrease crime in California, 90 percent of California Democratic voters indicated community-based mental health and drug programs; 89 percent indicated crime-prevention investments like mental health and drug treatment, jobs, and affordable housing; and 82 percent indicated a reduction of illegal guns. Investments to prevent crime also have strong support among California voters without party affiliation, with 73 percent indicating community-based mental health and drug programs and 70 percent indicating community investments like early childhood education programming.

Click here to read the full report from Vera Action and David Binder Research.