Harris Declines to Say How She Voted on California Ballot Measure to Reverse Criminal Justice Reform Policies

Vice President Kamala Harris said she mailed in her vote on California Proposition 36, but did not say how she voted.

The Measure: The initiative would increase certain drug penalties and make shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders. Essentially, it would reverse Proposition 47, which Californians voted on almost a decade ago, that lessened penalties for drug use and theft. Proposition 36 has bipartisan backers, and polling puts support as high as 73 percent.

Key Quote: “I’m not going to talk about the vote on that because honestly it’s the Sunday before the election and I don’t intend to create an endorsement one way or another around it,” Harris said.

How the Media Covered It: The Associated Press (Lean Left bias) said not disclosing her position "could leave her open to criticism from Republican Donald Trump that she is being soft on crime and from some left-leaning voters who would like to see her speak out forcefully against what they perceive as draconian anticrime efforts." The National Review (Lean Right bias) noted, "Harris and her campaign have routinely declined to comment on policy specifics since she became the Democratic presidential nominee over the summer. The Harris campaign has not articulated her position on over a dozen policies she previously advocated, Axios reported Sunday."