The San Francisco Standard Voter Poll
June 2022
Residents share views on the city's leaders, policies, challenges and post-pandemic life.
SF Voters Speak:
As the world emerges from the pandemic, San Francisco seems to be struggling more than most cities. Headlines focus on increasing homelessness, crime and overdose deaths, while workers and tourists have yet to return to the city in pre-Covid numbers. At the same time, new parks are opening and neighborhood streets, restaurants, events and nightlife are bouncing back.
The San Francisco Standard Voter Poll aims to provide new insight into the minds of local voters. Fielded by Embold Research in May 2022, the poll surveyed 1,048 registered voters about their opinions on the city, its government and its challenges.
The findings on the pages to follow are representative of San Francisco’s registered voter population, with a +/- 3.8% margin of error. Read more about the methodology here.
Reporting from The Standard:
District Attorney Recall
A closer look at who is supporting the Chesa Boudin recall, Measure H
RECALL of District Attorney Chesa Boudin:
A total of 57% respondents plan to vote “yes” on Measure H. Another one-fifth don’t know how they will vote.
“I'm a supporter [of the Boudin recall] but softly. I think it's hard to put all the blame on Chesa Boudin, but he still hasn't fulfilled his obligations to the city to keep our city safe. I think his recall sends the right message about what San Franciscans believe a DA should be, and what they should do.” — Poll Respondent
Behind the Vote to Recall:
Seven in ten respondents disapprove of the district attorney’s job performance and a similar portion feel less safe compared to 2019.
Progressive Politics:
A total of 25% of voters surveyed say their views on SF politics have become more progressive since 2019, while 39% say they have become less progressive.
More Drivers of DA Recall:
- 73% support arrest of those who commit minor property crimes
- 66% support forced treatment for potentially dangerous drug users
- Only 46% support sending low-level criminals to diversion programs instead of jail
RECALL REFORM:
Considering the principle behind Measure C on the June ballot, 48% do not believe that it should be harder to recall elected officials.
City Government
A report card on city leaders and their policies
City Hall Job Performance:
With the exception of the police department, many of the city’s individual leaders and organizations received a “net-negative” job approval rating: more respondents disapproved of the job performance than approved of it.
City voters are far more likely to be unhappy with the district attorney’s job performance (52% strongly disapprove) than that of the police. One-third of respondents strongly disapprove of the Board of Supervisors and school system’s performance. And Mayor Breed receives the second highest marks: 49% of voters approve of the job she is doing.
“[Mayor Breed] is maybe doing her best against the activists who control the [Board of Supervisors], but I think she really needs to take more of a stand and show some spine as our city continues to deteriorate.” — Poll Respondent
Support for City Policies:
Voters register broad support for the programs aimed at decreasing homelessness and increasing safety. More than half of respondents support the arrest of minor criminals, forced treatment of dangerous drug abusers, forced shelter for the homeless and operation of the Linkage Center.
Another 45% say it is acceptable for the SFPD to hire former military personnel to help with understaffing. Support is lower for more progressive agenda items, such as diversion programs, safe injection sites, slow streets initiatives and dropping the Lowell High School admissions process.
Housing Development:
The vast majority of respondents support building new housing in the city. Even when asked about construction in their own neighborhood, only 14% are against new construction. A total of 74% support construction of affordable housing around the city.
Funding Targets:
If given the purse strings, San Franciscan voters would add financial support to police (44%) and non-law enforcement safety programs (36%). Public schools and teachers are also cited as worthy of more city spending by 43% of respondents.
Knowledge of City Government:
More than three-fourths of respondents follow SF political news closely, and 70% say they understand how city government works. More than half of voters believe that SF city leaders are more corrupt than those of other major cities.
SF Living
What San Franciscans like—and don’t like—about city life in 2022
Satisfaction with City Life:
A total of 48% of voters are dissatisfied with life in San Francisco, slightly higher than the number of satisfied residents (45%). The number of highly dissatisfied residents (22%) is greater than those that are highly satisfied (15%).
“It's a constant ‘ying yang’ here; I love [San Francisco’s] beautiful, open-minded, creative world, the youthful vitality, the ethnic enclaves, the history and the future… But I hate the homeless/political/cost of living issues.” — Poll Respondent
Best & worst Things About living in San Francisco:
When asked to choose their favorite aspects of city life, voters chose food/nightlife, parks/green space, diversity and arts/culture over other attributes.
When picking three negatives about city life, there was much more of a consensus among responses: homelessness, crime and cost of living were rated as the biggest drawbacks.
plans to stay in sf:
Of all voters surveyed, 41% plan to stay in SF for the long term, with only 16% planning to leave soon. Top reasons for leaving include homelessness, crime and cost of living. And 57% say the city is not dealing with problems.
covid impacts:
This poll was fielded just prior to the current BA.2 variant outbreak but most SF voters are still Covid cautious. One-fifth say they’re back to operating as if the pandemic never happened and another 40% are cautiously returning to pre-Covid life. The balance of San Franciscan voters are still taking some or many precautions to avoid infection.
Nearly three-fourths of employed San Franciscans always worked in-person before the pandemic; that figure has dropped to just 31%. More than six-in-ten workers prefer a hybrid work style in the future over an “always remote” or “always in the office” program.
future of san francisco:
About half of residents surveyed believe the city will be back to “normal” in the coming year. Another 37% say it will take a few years. Nearly half of voters cite the city’s diversity and 40% report its economy as the aspects of city life that make them most hopeful for the future.
in Summary:
Support for DA Recall: A total of 57% of voters plan to vote “yes” on Measure H to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin. One-fifth say they don’t know how they will vote.
Negative Job Ratings for City Hall: More respondents disapprove than approve of job performance by Mayor London Breed, the Board of Supervisors, the public school system and DA Boudin. The SFPD receives the highest job approval rating at 52%.
Feeling Less Safe: About two-thirds of San Francisco residents report feeling less safe than they did in 2019, with one-third feeling much less safe.
Increasingly Moderate: A total of 39% of voters say their views on SF politics have become less progressive than they were in 2019, while 25% say they have become more progressive.
Split on Satisfaction With City Life: Exactly 45% of residents report they’re satisfied with their lives in San Francisco but 48% say they are dissatisfied.
Perks Remain: Voters say the best parts of SF living are restaurants/nightlife, parks/green space and diversity.
Consensus on Top Problems: Homelessness (68%), crime (59%) and cost of living (50%) are the things SF voters like least about city living.
Broad Support for Tougher Policies: Nearly three-fourths support the arrest of minor criminals. Most voters also approve of forced treatment for dangerous drug users (66%) and compelled shelter for homeless individuals (59%).
Pro-Housing Majority: Only 14% of respondents do not support the construction of new housing in their neighborhoods. Nearly three-fourths want construction of affordable housing.
Spend on Safety: “Policing” is the No. 1 area voters would target for increased city spending (44%), and another 36% would fund more non-law enforcement safety measures.
Schools a Priority: “Schools and teachers” are cited as the No. 2 area in need of increased funding. Only 13% want to replace the Lowell High School admission process with a lottery.
A Population On-the-Move: Only 41% of those polled plan to stay in SF for the long term. Top reasons cited for wanting to leave include homelessness (70%), cost of living (68%) and rising crime (67%).
Covid Cautious: A total of 38% of voters say they are still taking many precautions to avoid getting sick, while the remainder are getting back to “normal” life.
Move to Hybrid Work: While 73% of employed voters worked in-person before the pandemic, only 31% do so today. Most workers hope to have a hybrid office/remote work style in the future.
Future Outlook: Residents cite diversity and economic opportunities as the reasons they’re optimistic about the future of SF. Nearly half believe SF will return to “normal” within the year.
About this Poll:
The San Francisco Standard Voter Poll aims to provide new insight into the minds of the local electorate. Fielded by Embold Research in May 2022, the poll surveyed 1,048 registered voters about their opinions on the city, its government and its challenges. Click here to access the full report. Read more about the methodological details here.
The findings to follow are representative of San Francisco’s registered voter population within an error range of +/- 3.8%.
Accurate re-use of findings is permitted with the following attribution: “The San Francisco Standard Voter Poll, June 2022” Email Research Editor Maryann Jones Thompson at maryann@sfstandard.com for more information.
The San Francisco Standard is a news organization serving everyone with a stake in the future of San Francisco. We aim to build the city’s most trusted, authoritative and contemporary source of news and information, meeting you where you are to help you “Know Your City.”
Embold Research is the nonpartisan unit of Change Research. We focus on helping leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors uncover blind spots, build public trust, make informed decisions, and get things done. Utilizing the proprietary methodology of Dynamic Online Sampling we provide expertise, analytical approaches, and products tailored to the needs of clients who operate beyond the political sphere.
© 2022 The San Francisco Standard
Built with Shorthand