Poll says Prop. 209 support eroding

Latest Field survey indicates sharp shih against measure restricting affirmative action.

By KEN CHAVEZ

Scripps-McClatchy News Service

SACRAMENT0-Just one week before the election, a new Field Poll released Tuesday shows opposition to Proposition 209 has grown dramatically with only 5 polling poinls now separating those who favor the initiative from those who don't.

While the hotly debated ballot measure restricting affirmative action enjoyed a double-digit polling lead as recently as three weeks ago, the latest Field Poll found the measure only slightly ahead among likely voters, 46 percent to 41 percent, with 13 percent undecided. That's a marked contrast to Field Poll results released during the first week of October, when Proposition 209 led by 15 points, 47 percent to 32 percent with 21 percent undecided.

Carl Gutierrez-Jones,

Department of English

University of California

Santa Barbara, CA 93106

E-mail: carlgj@humanitas.ucsb.edu