Opinions about the general idea of expanded gambling were divided, but when the pollsters asked voters the actual question that would appear on the Nov. 5 statewide ballot, 55 percent said they would support it, 42 percent said they would oppose it and 3 percent were undecided, according to the survey by Siena College. The ballot language presents only positive arguments for gambling, saying that allowing more casinos would be for the purposes “of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools and permitting local governments to lower property taxes.”
The poll suggested that the wording of the question is significant. When voters were asked the question in a different way, without a list of casino development’s intended purposes, they were evenly divided.
The poll, conducted from Sept. 22 to 26, queried registered voters statewide, making its predictive value uncertain. There are no statewide elections this year, and turnout is expected to be generally low and widely varied, depending on the competitiveness of local races. In New York City, where turnout could be higher because there is a contested race for mayor, voters appear to be more skeptical of the casino referendum.
The poll found that voters agree with arguments both for and against expanding casino gambling.
Seventy-four percent agreed that allowing the development of casinos would create thousands of jobs, and 65 percent agreed that more casinos would generate significant revenue for the state and for local governments.
At the same time, 57 percent agreed that the state already has enough outlets for gambling and did not need more casinos. And 55 percent agreed that developing casinos would only increase societal problems, like crime and compulsive gambling.
So far, the debate over the referendum has been muted. But on Sunday, the New York State Catholic Conference warned of social problems associated with gambling. And on Monday, a group of business and labor leaders announced that they had formed a coalition that will urge voters to support the casino proposal.
The group supporting the measure, called NY Jobs Now, includes among its leaders William C. Thompson Jr., the former New York City comptroller who unsuccessfully ran this year for mayor, as well as several major political donors to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a champion of the casino referendum. A spokesman for the coalition declined to say how much it planned to spend in support of the referendum.
Government watchdog groups have raised concerns about the wording of the ballot question, which the State Board of Elections approved after consultation with Mr. Cuomo’s office. But in the poll, 51 percent of voters said they thought the question was fair; 43 percent deemed it unfair.
Another referendum that will be on the November ballot — to amend the State Constitution to allow some judges, including those on the state’s highest court, to serve until they are 80 years old — appears to be in trouble. Seventy-one percent of voters said they would vote against the proposal, compared with 26 percent who said they supported it.
The poll, conducted by telephone with 807 registered voters, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Yahoo Local News – New York Times
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