Visalia Voter Attitudes Toward
a Proposed Cannabis Measure
Key Findings of a Citywide Survey Conducted March 12-18, 2024 220-7065
2 Dates March 12-18, 2024
Survey Type Dual-mode Voter Survey
Research Population Likely November 2024 Voters in Visalia Total Interviews 688
Margin of Sampling Error (Full Sample) ±4.4% at the 95% Confidence Level (Half Sample) ±5.7% at the 95% Confidence Level
Contact Methods
Data Collection Modes
Survey Tracking 2015 and 2016
Languages English and Spanish
(Note: Not All Results Will Sum to 100% Due to Rounding) Text
Invitations
Telephone
Calls
Email
Invitations
Telephone
Interviews
Online
Interviews
Survey Methodology
3 Issue Context
4 Q. Would you say that things in the City of Visalia are generally headed in the right direction or do you feel that things are off on the wrong track? A majority feel positively about the direction of
the city, but the mood has worsened since 2016.
50%
67%
65%
18%
18%
15%
32%
14%
20%
2024
2016
2015
Right Direction Don't Know/Refused/Mixed Wrong Track
5 Q. In your personal opinion, do you think the City of Visalia has a great need for additional funding, some need, a little need, or no real need for additional funds to provide the level of City services that Visalia residents need and want? 43%
25%
31%
36%
9%
16%
10%
17%
7%
6%
2024
2015
Great Need Some Need A Little Need No Real Need Don't Know Great/
Some
Need
A Little/
No Real
Need
74% 19%
61% 32%
Nearly three quarters perceive a
need for funding for city services.
6 Q.
Yes
29% No
35%
Don't Know/
Refused
36%
Most are unaware that it is currently
illegal to sell cannabis products in Visalia.
Now changing topic slightly. As far as you know,
is it legal to sell cannabis products in the City of Visalia? 7 36%
35%
29%
26%
27%
28%
9%
7%
10%
26%
25%
29%
6%
Allowing businesses to sell
cannabis products
Allowing facilities to test
cannabis products
Allowing facilities to
manufacture cannabis products
Strng. Supp. Smwt. Supp. Smwt. Opp. Strng. Opp. Don't Know Total Supp.
Total
Opp.
62% 35%
62% 32%
57% 39%
A majority support allowing cannabis-related
businesses to operate in Visalia.
Q. I am now going to mention various cannabis related businesses. Please tell me if it sounds like something you would support or oppose in the City of Visalia. Any of these potential uses may also be subject to regulations the City can make such as location or hours of operation, and may include related fees.
(Ranked by Total Support)
8 Introducing the Measure
9 Ballot Language
Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample With Mandate No Mandate
Shall the measure to fund, for general
governmental uses, services such as:
maintaining emergency response times;
supporting youth programs; helping attract
businesses; cleaning public areas;
addressing homelessness; by taxing cannabis
businesses’ gross receipts not exceeding 10%
on retail, delivery, manufacturing/testing;
raising approximately $1,000,000 annually,
requiring spending disclosures, and which
would only be levied if state law imposes
mandates or the city approves an ordinance
allowing such businesses, lasting until ended
by voters, be adopted?
Shall the measure to fund, for general
governmental uses, services such as:
maintaining emergency response times;
neighborhood police patrols;
supporting youth programs; helping retain
and attract businesses; keeping public
areas safe and clean;
addressing homelessness; by taxing
cannabis businesses’ gross receipts not
exceeding 10% on retail, delivery,
manufacturing, and testing;
raising approximately $1,000,000 annually,
until ended by voters, requiring audits,
spending disclosures, and that cannabis
businesses follow public health and safety
requirements, be adopted?
10 Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample Initial Vote
(With Mandate)
Initial Vote
(No Mandate)
42%
20%
4%
3%
6%
18%
7%
43%
19%
5%
2%
8%
20%
3%
Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
Total
Yes
66%
Total
Yes
67%
62% 62%
Total
No
27%
Total
No
30%
Two-thirds support the proposed measure, both with
and without mention of a state or local mandate.
(Each Measure - M.O.E=±5.7%)
11 63%
69% 69%
63%
69%
32%
25% 28%
35%
25%
5% 6% 4% 2% 6%
1 2 3 4 5
Total Yes Total No Undecided
Majority support cuts across the
City’s Council Districts.
(% of
Sample) (22%) (23%) (23%)
Initial Vote by City Council District
(17%)
Q Combined. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? (15%)
12 Those who perceive a need for funding are more
likely to vote “yes” than those who do not.
Q Combined. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? 75%
68% 72%
48%
57%
20%
26% 23%
51%
33%
5% 6% 5% 1%
10%
Great
Need
Some
Need
Great/
Some Need
A Little/
No Real Need
Don't
Know
Total Yes Total No Undecided
(% of
Sample) (43%) (74%) (19%)
Initial Vote by Need for Funding
(31%) (7%)
13 Priority Features
of the Measure
14 69%
68%
61%
60%
54%
59%
50%
22%
23%
28%
29%
32%
25%
35%
6%
7%
8%
11%
11%
10%
12%
^Addressing homelessness
Maintaining emergency response times
Keeping public areas safe and clean
Preventing property crime
Cleaning up public areas
Increasing gang prevention programs
Maintaining city services
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Ext./Very Impt.
92%
91%
89%
88%
87%
85%
85%
Q. The proposed ballot measure you considered earlier has not yet been finalized. Now I’m going to read you a list of services, infrastructure projects and provisions that could be included in this measure. Please tell me how important that service, infrastructure project or provision is to you personally:
Is it extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important? ^Not Part of Split Sample Addressing homelessness, maintaining emergency response times and keeping public areas safe and clean are the
top funding priorities.
(Ranked by Extremely/Very Important)
15 61%
61%
59%
60%
52%
51%
51%
23%
23%
25%
23%
30%
31%
30%
9%
10%
10%
8%
10%
15%
16%
5%
6%
5%
^Maintaining safe routes to school
Maintaining gang prevention programs
Improving emergency response times
Improving response to property crime
^Maintaining parks and recreation areas
^Fixing potholes and streets
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Ext./Very Impt.
84%
84%
84%
83%
82%
82%
82%
Q. The proposed ballot measure you considered earlier has not yet been finalized. Now I’m going to read you a list of services, infrastructure projects and provisions that could be included in this measure. Please tell me how important that service, infrastructure project or provision is to you personally:
Is it extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important? ^Not Part of Split Sample More than four in five say safe routes to
school and gang prevention are important.
^Requiring cannabis businesses
follow laws protecting public health,
safety and community standards
(Ranked by Extremely/Very Important)
16 50%
48%
49%
46%
53%
49%
39%
31%
32%
30%
33%
25%
28%
37%
14%
13%
15%
16%
13%
17%
19%
6%
6%
6%
^Retaining and recruiting firefighters
Supporting youth programs
Cleaning-up illegal dumping
Addressing illegal dumping and blight
^Ensuring legal cannabis businesses
meet required safety regulations
Maintaining neighborhood
police patrols
Improving city services
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Ext./Very Impt.
82%
80%
79%
79%
77%
77%
76%
Q. The proposed ballot measure you considered earlier has not yet been finalized. Now I’m going to read you a list of services, infrastructure projects and provisions that could be included in this measure. Please tell me how important that service, infrastructure project or provision is to you personally:
Is it extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important? ^Not Part of Split Sample Voters also widely view retaining firefighters and
supporting youth programs as important.
(Ranked by Extremely/Very Important)
17 45%
44%
41%
47%
37%
41%
33%
29%
32%
33%
26%
33%
24%
31%
14%
17%
19%
15%
23%
17%
24%
8%
7%
6%
11%
6%
15%
11%
^Maintaining school resource officers
Supporting afterschool programs
Helping retain and attract businesses
Improving neighborhood police patrols
^Improving senior programs
^Increasing the number of police officers
Helping attract businesses
Ext. Impt. Very Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Ext./Very Impt.
75%
75%
74%
73%
70%
66%
64%
Q. The proposed ballot measure you considered earlier has not yet been finalized. Now I’m going to read you a list of services, infrastructure projects and provisions that could be included in this measure. Please tell me how important that service, infrastructure project or provision is to you personally:
Is it extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important? ^Not Part of Split Sample Helping attract businesses ranks lowest as a
relative priority, although a majority support it.
(Ranked by Extremely/Very Important)
18 Impact of Information
19 Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
42%
20%
4%
3%
6%
18%
7%
Total
Yes
66%
62%
Initial Vote Vote After
Education
51%
17%
7%
1%
4%
16%
5%
Total
Yes
74%
43%
17%
4%
3%
5%
20%
8%
Total
Yes
64%
68% 60%
Support for the measure with the mandate
language fluctuates with messaging, but remains
above 50% throughout the survey.
Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample Total
No
27%
Total
No
21%
Total
No
28%
Vote After
Negative Messages
(With Mandate; M.O.E=±5.7%)
20 Definitely yes
Probably yes
Undecided, lean yes
Undecided, lean no
Probably no
Definitely no
Undecided
43%
19%
5%
2%
8%
20%
3%
Total
Yes
67%
62%
Initial Vote Vote After
Education
43%
23%
5%
1%
5%
18%
5%
Total
Yes
71%
40%
20%
5%
2%
5%
22%
6%
Total
Yes
66%
66% 60%
Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample Total
No
30%
Total
No
24%
Total
No
28%
The version that does not mention the mandate
also remains well-above 50% after messaging.
Vote After
Negative Messages
(No Mandate; M.O.E=±5.7%)
21 Vote progression With and Without Mandate
Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample Q. Based on this description, would you vote yes or no on this measure? Split Sample 66%
74%
64% 67% 71%
66%
27%
21%
28% 30%
24% 28%
7% 5% 8%
3% 5% 6%
Initial
Vote
Vote After
Education
Vote After
Negative
Messages
Initial
Vote
Vote After
Education
Vote After
Negative
Messages
Total Yes
Total No
Undecided
Mandate No Mandate
(M.O.E=±5.7%)
22 Conclusions
23 Conclusions
• The proposed measure to tax cannabis businesses in Visalia appears viable for November 2024.
• The measure receives broad and consistent support among the electorate, regardless of whether or not a state mandate is mentioned in the ballot language. • Although many are uncertain about whether it is legal or not to sell cannabis in Visalia, majorities support allowing cannabis business activity. • Additionally, nearly three-quarters perceive a need for funding for city services. • In that context, nearly two-thirds support the proposed simple majority measure initially.
• Voters place the greatest priority on addressing homelessness, maintaining emergency response times, keeping public areas safe and clean, and preventing property crime.
• Support fluctuates with messaging, but remains well-above the 50% threshold for passage throughout the survey.
Visalia Voter Attitudes Toward
a Proposed Cannabis Measure
Key Findings of a Citywide Survey Conducted March 12-18, 2024 220-7065