Frustrated California voters think a state government overhaul is needed, but a majority believe it shouldn't be so easy for them to change the state's constitution at the ballot box, a new Field Poll has found.
Raising the ballot box threshold for approving a constitutional amendment from a majority to two-thirds was favored by 56 percent in the poll and opposed by 36 percent.
Based on recent election results, such a move could make it nearly impossible to change the state's governing document. Proposition 8, which declares that marriage is only between a man and a woman, passed last November with 52 percent approval, far below the 66.6 percent that would be needed.
"The public is willing to back off" on allowing just a majority of voters the power to change the constitution, said Mark DiCamillo, executive director of the Field Poll.
A slim majority of 51 percent said they thought that "fundamental changes" were needed to the state constitution to change how the state government functions. An identical portion said they would prefer that a constitutional convention rather than an appointed commission take on that task.
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