UnidosUS Unveils New Hispanic Electorate Data Hub and Releases Polling on Arizona’s Hispanic Voter Priorities with Mi Familia Vota

on

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 partnership connecting electoral programs, policy advocacy, research, and community engagement to lift Latino voices.

As a part of this effort, UnidosUS and Mi Familia Vota today released the results of a 2023 Poll of Arizona’s Hispanic Electorate, conducted by BSP Research. The 2023 poll provides timely insights into the perspectives and priorities of Arizona’s Hispanic voters a year out from the 2024 elections and is part of the most expansive national poll on the Hispanic electorate this cycle.

Clarissa Martinez De Castro, Vice President of UnidosUS’s Latino Vote Initiative, said “As the second largest group of voters in Arizona, Hispanics cast 21% of the state’s votes in 2020 and will play a decisive role in the 2024 state and national political landscape. As part of its comprehensive 2024 civic engagement campaign, UnidosUS created a first-of-its kind Hispanic Electorate Data Hub, which includes this and previous polls, to promote an accurate understanding of Latino voters and contribute to greater and more effective engagement.”

Key findings of the poll include:

On the issues

  • Four of the top five concerns for Arizona’s Hispanic voters are dominated by economic and pocketbook issues, specifically inflation and the rising cost of living, jobs, affordable housing, and healthcare.
  • Gun violence remained among the top five, doing so for the first time in 2022.
  • On abortion: 65% of Arizona’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: Immigration remains a priority issue (tied in the top-5 issues with gun violence) in Arizona. Providing a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and other immigrants with long-standing ties in the country are the two big policies Latino voters want to see advanced on this issue.
  • On climate: 47% of Arizona’s Latinos think climate change is a serious problem that affects people’s lives. Only 5% doubt the reality of climate change.

On voting

  • In 2024, 19% of Arizona’s Latinos will be voting in a presidential election for the first time.
  • 33% of Arizona’s Latino electorate is comprised of new voters since Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off in 2016.

On the parties

  • Latino voters in Arizona see Democrats as more aligned with their values and views on a host of issues including health care, treating people with dignity/respect, immigration, and democracy and elections. Yet the majority of Latino voters in the state don’t feel that either party truly cares about Latino voters.
  • Looking forward to the 2024 election, Rep. Gallego and President Biden hold substantial polling leads among Arizona’s Latino electorate at this very early stage.
  • Rep. Gallego leads Republican and Independent candidates by more than 20 points.
  • President Biden out-performs his approval rating (48% approve) in potential 2024 match-ups, where he holds a 21-point lead over former President Trump and a 25-point lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

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

Enrique Davis-Mazlum, UnidosUS’s Arizona State Director, said:

“In deciding which candidates to support in an election, 92% of Latinos feel it is important to bring people together. This overwhelming majority underscores the value Latinos place on unity and collaboration in shaping the future of our nation. Latinos’ perspectives on political values are clear. Regarding equality and treating everyone with respect and dignity, 50% perceive Democrats as closer to personal beliefs/values, compared to 18% for Republicans. Similarly, on matters of democracy and elections, 47% of Latinos align with Democrats, emphasizing a significant gap with the 23% who see Republicans as closer to their beliefs. These findings shed light on the distinct values Latinos associate with each political party.”

Michael Ruiz Contreras, Mi Familia Vota’s Arizona Civic Engagement Director, said:

“This poll confirms what we are seeing on the ground in Arizona; we know that climate change is critically important to our Latino frontline communities in Arizona because of the water crisis that our state is facing. That is why Mi Familia Vota is organizing and building Latino power in Arizona to fight for policies that fight climate change. We must do more to reach these communities. Arizona is a state that has tremendous potential, but we must invest. This polling shows a path forward.”

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