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Chargers Measure C Faces Opposition

Preliminary Chargers Stadium Design

With Election Day approaching, the San Diego Chargers are still facing widespread opposition to their proposed stadium/convention center. 

A recent Union-Tribune/News 10 poll shows that, of surveyed voters, 41% oppose ballot Measure C–which calls for a hotel tax increase to cover the public contribution of the proposal. Meanwhile, only 36% say they will vote for the plan and an additional 23% are “non-certain.”

Though wide, that gap for the Chargers does not seem insurmountable on the surface, but the situation is fairly complicated. Measure C will likely require a two-thirds majority for approval, and the Chargers will have serious problems getting close to that threshold. More from the San Diego Union-Tribune:

If all of the uncertain voters are added to those in favor, the measure would still only get support from 59 percent of likely voters.

Because support for ballot measures tends to decrease as an election approaches, SurveyUSA president Jay Leve said Friday that it’s “almost certain” Measure C will fail.

“If there’s some blockbuster development that could alter the course of history, maybe the support group rallies,” said Leve, whose company conducted the poll. “But even if it does rally, it would be unprecedented and historic in the annals of polling for something that’s trailing 30 days before the election to come back and get a super majority of 67 percent.”

Support for Measure C in the new poll was lower than a previous SurveyUSA poll in late August that showed 39 percent certain to vote for it and 36 percent certain to vote against it.

The question from there will be how the Chargers and San Diego move forward. Previous comments from Chargers owner Dean Spanos indicate that the team will carefully consider the number of yes votes it receives, and the endorsement of mayor Kevin Faulconer is seen to by some as leaving the door open for future negotiations. If the measure does indeed fail, many of the biggest questions concerning the Chargers and San Diego are unlikely to answered until after the election.

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August Publications