Latino, American Indian Vote Experts Discuss Key Takeaways Nationally and in Arizona from American Election Eve Poll and 2020 Elections

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Watch a recorded version of the Arizona Latino and American Indian poll results webinar: HERE

Watch a recorded version of the national Latino poll results webinar: HERE

Visit electioneve2020.com for Latino voter national and state-specific data from 2020 American Election Eve Poll

WASHINGTON, DC—On a webinar held today, Latino electorate experts, including Clarissa Martínez De Castro, Deputy Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at UnidosUS, presented key findings from the 2020 American Election Eve Poll (AEEP). The American Election Eve Poll features the best data on the vote choices and motivations of Latino voters, based on more than 15,000 surveys of Black Americans, Latinos, America Indians, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and whites in 12 key states. Despite diversity in race, culture, and economic status, about 7 out of 10 Latinos across the nation voted for Biden and were unified in prioritizing the pandemic and economy, as well as lowering health care costs.

Later in the day, UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía joined National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) CEO Kevin Allis and field organizer for Promise Arizona Alexis Rodriguez to hold a separate webinar on the Latino and American Indian vote in Arizona, a key battleground state with significant Latino and American Indian populations.

“Two things are crystal clear: First, Latino voters turned out in record numbers. The estimate that nearly 15 million Hispanics voted in this election makes this the largest Latino turnout in U.S. history,” said Murguía. “Second, Latino voters had a dramatic and decisive impact on this election, for both parties. And nowhere was this more evident than right here in Arizona where the state’s flip was a direct result of a decade’s worth of grassroots organizing and mobilization by the Latino community. The support of Latino voters was crucial to the victories of both newly elected Senator Mark Kelly, who received 67 percent of the Latino vote, and for Joe Biden, who received 70 percent. The bottom line is that our community’s voice and impact are only going to get stronger as the nation’s youngest population comes of age. And our community showed what it could do. It is long past time for the nation to listen.”

“Knowing the thin margins in the last couple of elections, this is the year that we knew the Native vote would matter and we took it seriously. Given the percentage of American Indian voters of age, 5.6 percent in Arizona, it’s certain that we influenced close races in the state,” said NCAI CEO Kevin J. Allis. “We are community-based communities—76 percent were referred [to vote] by friends or family. They had a plan to make sure they got engaged and they shared their enthusiasm.”

  • Watch a recorded version of the Arizona Latino and Native American voter result webinar: HERE
  • Watch a recorded version of today’s Latino voter webinar and discussion: HERE
  • View the Latino voter slide deck presentation on the webinar: HERE

The following experts summarized the results as follows:

Gary M. Segura, Co-founder of Latino Decisions: “Latinos and voters of color were critical to Vice President Biden’s success in Arizona but also in states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Media narratives about the Latino vote that are driven by one county in two states wildly misrepresent the larger facts about Latinos in the 2020 elections.”

Lorella Praeli, President, Community Change Action: “Latinx voters are familiar with being scapegoated, but the reality is that we have played a critical role in building the multiracial coalition of voters who are changing the electorate and the electoral map. On the issue of immigration, the majority of Latinos support citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a fair and humane immigration system—and they are backed by a majority of Black, AAPI, American Indian and white voters in their support for these policies. Latinos delivered Senate seats in Arizona and Colorado, and our vote was decisive in the margin of victory in Wisconsin and Michigan. Though we still await results in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia, our vote was critical in those states. In 2021, we fully expect that the new administration and Congress will listen to the will and the votes of the American people, who overwhelmingly support citizenship for undocumented immigrants and a fair and humane immigration system that keeps families together.”

Henry R. Muñoz III, Founder, Momento Latino: “Everyone has heard about the blue wall, but what should be examined after this election is the brown wall of votes Latinos have built in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and yes, Texas. Our votes may very well be the deciding votes of this election. As Latinos, we need to keep leading ourselves and remember to bring forward the issues that are important to our families, like the response to the pandemic, which has devastated our community, and the need for quality, affordable health care. What this election will show is what is good for the Latino community is good for the future of the United States of America.”

Key Information About the American Election Eve Poll

  • The 2020 American Election Eve Poll includes over 15,000 voters nationally with oversamples of Latino/Latinx, Black, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander American, and rural voters, along with other voters; as well as state-specific samples for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
  • The interactive website electioneve2020.com presents the full array of AEEP data for Latino/Latinx, American Indian, and other voting communities nationally and in key states.
    Pollsters and Sponsors

The lead pollsters for the 2020 American Election Eve Poll include Latino Decisions, Asian American Decisions and the African American Research Collaborative.

Sponsoring organizations include: AAPI Civic Engagement Fund, NAACP, America’s Voice, UnidosUS, Advancement Project, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Community Change, Demos, Faith In Action, Florida Alliance, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, Momento Latino, National Congress of American Indians, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Urban League, Race Forward, RuralOrganizing.org, SEIU, Vera Institute of Justice, Voter Participation Center.