SEATTLE - Two high-profile constitutional amendments on Florida's 2024 ballot —legalization of marijuana and protection of abortion rights— both remain below the 60 percent threshold needed for passage, although large constituencies of undecided voters could push the initiatives forward.
A recent poll conducted by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research USA found that, despite not yet reaching the percentage needed, both measures were found to still be gaining traction among voters.
Amendment 3, which proposes the legalization of marijuana for adults aged 21 and older, has the backing of 56 percent of voters according to the poll. Young voters, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 49, are the most supportive with 69 percent of them in favor. That support decreases among older voters, as just 47 percent of those polled aged 50 or older endorsed the measure.
Demographically speaking, 74 percent of Democrats support a motion to legalize marijuana, compared to only 37 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents polled.
Among racial groups, Latino voters show the highest level of opposition with 35.4 percent of them indicating that they would not support the measure.
Amendment 4, which aims to ensure that "no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability," has also garnered 56 percent support among voters and, just like Amendment 3, the abortion amendment holds great support from Democrats and younger voters.
According to the poll, 80 percent of Democrats back the measure, compared to 35 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of Independents. Women are slightly more likely to support the motion compared to men, with 59 percent and 54 percent in favor, respectively. Just like with marijuana, older voters are less likely to support the amendment compared to younger voters, with 62 percent of people aged 18 to 49 showing their support.
But unlike Amendment 3, Latinos are showing the strongest support for abortion rights among racial groups. According to the poll, 66 percent of Latino voters support the motion, followed by 62 percent support among Black voters.
"These results reflect growing awareness of the constitutional amendments," said Luzmarina Garcia, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science at FAU. She also mentioned that back in April, FAU polled on both initiatives and since then, there has been a 7 percent increase in terms of support.
"There is evidence that emotionally charged issues, like same-sex marriage and more recently abortion, can drive higher voter turnout," Garcia added. "However, this trend is more common in midterm elections. In a presidential election year, many voters motivated by these issues may already be planning to vote. As a result, those undecided on these amendments could swing either way in November," she added.
As of August, 38 states in the U.S. have legalized cannabis for medical use, while 24 states have legalized it for recreational use.
In terms of abortion rights, 17 states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect the right to abortion. Last May, Florida introduced a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Both Amendment 3 and 4 will be on the ballot for Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 5 of this year.
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