The Latino Community Foundation commissioned a poll that underscores an enormous, untapped opportunity for candidates to engage with California’s 7.9 million Latino voters about the monumental work that was achieved to ensure the most impacted communities were not left to navigate the economic uncertainty of the pandemic alone. Click to download toplines and crosstabs of the poll.
From the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that is already helping accelerate the nation’s health and economic recovery, to the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will create high-paying, sustainable union jobs to modernize roads and bridges and expand broadband access—elected officials have already started leveraging these federal resources to create a foundation for a more just economy over the next years.
Still, however, our poll indicates that not enough Latino voters know about these programs, even if they have already contributed to a tangible benefit in their lives. Candidates still have time to speak to voters about the work that is already underway to rebuilding a more just economy, especially to Latinos who are concerned about inflation and the cost of living.
“Latino voters will be key in half-dozen competitive Congressional districts from Orange County up to the San Joaquin Valley, and these voters are anxious about the economy and its effect on their families and livelihood” said Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. “More must be done to engage our communities on the issues closest to their hearts and their pocketbooks.”
Latino nonprofit leaders have already started doing their part to civically engage their communities in recovery efforts. In fact, last month the Latino Community Foundation announced a $1.4 million investment in 35 nonprofit organizations advocating for the equitable implementation of the American Rescue Plan in their local communities. Candidates who are committed to earning the Latino vote can start by engaging these leaders in dialogue about the path forward post-pandemic, so that no Californian is left behind.
Other highlights from our poll include:
Latinos on the Economy—Latino voters in California cite cost of living, the economy, and cost of housing as the top three issues they want elected officials to address. 64% strongly agree that the cost of living is going up faster than their wages can keep up.
Progressive Agenda—On public policy issues, California Latinos continue to report 3-to-1 support, or higher, for progressive policy solutions on issues from housing, climate change, immigration, expanding Internet access, and childcare.
Voting Rights—Latino voters are very supportive of voting rights reforms that will guarantee equal voting rights and fair representation with over 70% supporting automatic voter registration; expanding voting machines to reduce wait times at polling places; and importantly, 80% of Latinos say that spreading false information about elections should be a federal crime.
About the Methodology: The Latino Community Foundation commissioned a statewide poll of California’s Latino Voters in advance of the June primary election. The poll was conducted by BSP Research on behalf of the LCF and interviewed 1,200 Latino registered voters across California for a margin-of-error of +/- 2.83%. To assure sufficient sample of Latino voters from the Central Valley (n=250), an oversample was collected there. The poll was conducted on-line and by phone in English and Spanish at the discretion of the respondent. The final sample was weighted to ensure representativeness of the final sample compared to most recent Census CPS estimates for Latino registered voters in California. Interviews were conducted between March 20, 2022, and April 16, 2022
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