A new poll shows Florida voters are likely to pass a proposed state constitutional amendment expanding medical marijuana use in the Sunshine State while a close Senate battle looms in 2018.
Democrat-aligned Public Policy Polling (PPP) released a survey on Wednesday showing 70 percent of likely voters support Amendment 2 while 23 percent oppose it. To pass, a proposed state constitutional amendment must get 60 percent support at the ballot box. A similar measure, also titled Amendment 2, polled well early but ended up with 58 percent support back in 2014 though supporters expect better luck in a presidential election year.
Democrats back the proposal 81 percent to 13 percent. Amendment 2 also does well with voters outside the major parties as 70 percent support it and 21 of them oppose it. Republicans are more divided but a majority--55 percent--back the proposal while 38 percent are against it.
Looking ahead to 2018, the poll shows Florida Democrat Bill Nelson could be vulnerable if he faces Rick Scott in his bid for a fourth term. Nelson takes 45 percent of voters while Scott pulls 41 percent.
Scott is upside down in Florida with 47 percent disapproving of him while 42 percent approve. Nelson is in better shape with 41 percent approving of him and 30 percent disapproving of him. But, despite serving three terms in the Senate and having a political career which spans more than four decades, a large segment of voters--28 percent--are not sure what they think about Nelson.
After his unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Jeb Bush, who served two terms as governor, is upside down in Florida with 40 percent of voters approving of him and 46 percent disapproving of him. Bush ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination after poor showings in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, pulling the plug on his campaign before heading to Florida.
The poll of 744 likely voters was taken between Sept. 4 through Sept. 6 and had a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percent.
