Harris refusing to disclose position on California ballot measure seeking to reverse criminal justice reform

By Alyssa Buford

On the Sunday before the election, Incumbent Vice President and 2024 Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris declined to reveal her position on a California ballot measure due to reverse criminal justice reform policies made in recent years. Harris had confirmed that she “just sent in” her absentee ballot and is currently being sent to California.

According to political scientists, Harris did not take a stance on this because it would be too divisive to state so close to the election. Had Harris disclosed that she voted against the reverse of reforms, she could be open to criticism from Republicans for not being “hard enough on violent crime” on a state scale following an increase in shoplifting numbers from 2021 to 2022. Had she admitted to voting in favor of the reforms, the Democratic party and left-leaning voters could potentially critique Harris for enforcing what they deem to be barbaric anti crime efforts, as low-income and Black and Brown residents are disproportionately incarcerated on charges of violent crime.

“I am not going to talk about the vote on that. I don’t intend to create an endorsement one way or another around it.” said Harris prior to her election as vice president in 2020. Harris had implied to reporters a month prior that she initially intended to disclose her stance on the ballot measure, stating “I have not voted yet, and I’ve actually not read it yet. But I’ll let you know.” to a group of reporters at a Detroit campaign stop on Oct 16.