UnidosUS Unveils New Hispanic Electorate Data Hub and Partners with Mi Familia Vota to Release Poll on the Priorities of Florida’s Hispanic Voters

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Data Hub and survey are part of a multi-year, multi-state effort to build an accurate understanding of this electorate, grow Latino participation and advance community priorities

WASHINGTON, DC— Last year, UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, and Mi Familia Vota, a national civic engagement organization, announced a multi-year, multi-state national partnership to achieve a full spectrum of civic engagement, connecting electoral, policy advocacy, public opinion research, citizenship and community programs to lift Latino voices.

As a part of this civic engagement effort, UnidosUS and Mi Familia Vota today released the results of a poll of Florida’s Latino voters, conducted by BSP Research. The survey provides timely insights into the perspectives and priorities of Florida’s Hispanic voters a year out from the 2024 elections. This is a part of the most expansive poll on the Hispanic electorate in 2023, a year out from the 2024 elections.

Hispanics are the second largest group of voting age Americans and a critical factor in the race for the White House, congressional balance of power, and beyond. Yet, oversimplifications and mistaken assumptions about these voters persist. That’s why UnidosUS has created a first-of-its kind Hispanic Electorate Data Hub to promote an accurate understanding of this fast-growing group of voters. This hub will provide data on the size and growth of the Latino electorate over the last two decades, a chart of 2024 competitive districts with Hispanic voter influence, and dynamic multi-cycle polling results on Latino perspectives and issue priorities, including the poll being released today.

Key findings of the poll include:

On the issues

  • Four of the top five concerns for Florida’s Hispanic voters are dominated by economic and pocketbook issues, specifically inflation and the rising cost of living, jobs, healthcare and housing affordability. Notably, housing rose to the top five concerns as a stand-alone for the first time.
  • Gun violence remained among the top five, doing so for the first time in 2022.
  • On abortion: 65% of Florida’s Latino voters continue to oppose efforts to make it illegal or take that decision away from others, no matter their own personal beliefs on the issue.
  • On immigration: While not in the top five priority issues, immigration is ranked higher than it was in 2022. Top action items include providing a path to citizenship for long-residing undocumented individuals and Dreamers.
  • On climate: Climate concern is high, and Florida Latinos think climate action is urgently needed to forestall weather and climate related catastrophes. Only 7% doubt the reality of climate change.
  • Medicaid expansion: Florida’s state government has refused to expand Medicaid, though over 79% of Florida Hispanic voters favor expansion.

On voting

  • In 2024, 19% of Florida’s Latinos will be voting in a presidential election for the first time.
  • 35% of Florida’s Latino electorate is comprised of new voters since Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off in 2016.

On the parties

  • A slightly higher number of Florida Latino voters trust Republicans over Democrats (34% to 30%) to best handle their important issues. This is different than for the majority of Hispanic voters in other states.
  • Approval numbers in Florida show Biden having lower approval than elsewhere (36-57), and the GOP House Leadership is also slightly underwater (42-44).
  • About the Democratic Party, 41% of Florida’s Latino voters say the party cares about Latinos, 48% say it doesn’t care too much, and 11% say it is hostile toward the Latino community.
  • About the Republican party and Latinos, 35% of Hispanic voters say the party cares about Latinos, 46% say it doesn’t care too much, and 19% say it is hostile toward the Hispanic community.

This research shows that both parties need to do more to better engage and expand support with Hispanic voters.

Jared Nordlund, Florida State Director, UnidosUS said, “This poll should serve as a wake-up call to both parties that Florida Hispanic voters are frustrated at the lack of progress on issues impacting the community, particularly pocketbook issues, and are looking for real solutions. The lack of affordable housing and high rents rose to the top 5 for the first time as a stand-alone concern, which tracks with what we’re hearing on the ground from voters who say they are getting priced out of housing, and many are also dealing with crippling property insurance premiums that are making Florida more unaffordable by the day. Needless to say, a lot more needs to be done by state and local leaders on housing to reduce the cost of living for hard-working Floridians. Additionally, this poll makes it clear that Latino voters are shopping for candidates who reject extremist hate groups, will raise the minimum wage, and protect health care programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”

Gary Segura, Founding Partner and President, BSP Research said, “Nowhere is the Latino community more diverse and politically complex than Florida. Our poll found Florida Latinos hold some political views quite distinct from Latinos in other parts of the country—even as core concerns and priorities remain very similar. The churn of change within the Latino Floridians is far from settled.”

Soraya Marquez, Florida State Director, Mi Familia Vota said “This poll confirms what we are seeing on the ground in Florida; we know that our community strongly favors protections and rights for our immigrant familia, and they are struggling under the attacks on our Immigrant communities. We also know that climate change is critically important to our Latino frontline communities in Florida, as they are bearing the brunt of those denying climate change. In Florida, we are also fighting for our democracy, where they are trying to make voting harder. That is why Mi Familia Vota is organizing and building Latino power in Florida to fight for our immigrant families and against climate change.”

About the full survey

Total N=3,037 Latino eligible voters

  • N= 2,707 registered
  • N= 330 eligible, not registered
  • Margin of error +/- 1.8%

Oversamples

  • N=300 per: Arizona, California, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania (+/- 5.7%)
  • N=400 Florida, Texas (+/- 4.9%)

Field Dates: Nov 2 – 13, 2023
English or Spanish, according to preference
Mixed mode: 75% online, 25% live telephone interviews