Majority of Latino Voters in California Are Certain to Vote in November

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Sep 03, 2020 03:08 AM EDT

Around 73 percent of Latino voters in California said they are certain to vote in November, according to poll results.

The Latino Community Foundation released a poll in a webinar with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and MALDEF President and General Counsel Tom Saenz.

Aside from discovering Latino voters' stance, 84 percent of those who participated in the poll said that discrimination against Latinos and immigrants is a problem today. Meanwhile, 75 percent said they support Black Lives Matter protests.

The August survey included 1,202 registered Latino voters across the state of California. It also included an oversample of youth and a geographic oversample of the San Joaquin Valley.

The survey also looked at how Latinos are struggling with COVID-19, racial injustice, awareness of mail-in voting, and ballot language for measures on the California ballot.

Although 73 percent of Latino voters were sure to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, the rate was lower for young Latinos between the ages of 18 and 25. In that age group, only 56 percent were certain to vote.

"Young Latinos are a crucial voter demographic with an estimated 1.6 million Latinos under age 25 eligible to vote in California. Our democracy is stronger when we elevate their voices and address their concerns. It's on all of us to support youth leaders mobilizing their peers to the polls," Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, said in a report.

Nearly 47 percent of Latinos included in the poll said the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic is the top priority for them. Other top issues were making health care accessible by lowering its price, improving wages, and creating more jobs.

Issues like stopping discrimination, protecting immigrant rights, and criminal justice reform were also in the Latinos' mind.

The poll also contained Latinos' perceptions of the Black Lives Matter Movement. It found that racism across the country is of great concern for Latinos in California.

The survey also showed that 84 percent of Latinos felt that racism is a problem in the country.

Latinos will also vote on many important ballots measures this November, with considerable attention of Propositions 15, which is tax assessments, and 16, which is affirmative action.

The Proposition 15 would mandate commercial and industrial properties to be taxed to their current market value and invest money in local public schools and governments.

The poll also revealed that Latino voters in California are more familiar with mail-in voting than Latinos nationally.

With this claim, 59 percent said that they have previously used mail-in voting to cast their ballots. On the other hand, 70 percent pointed out that they plan to vote-by-mail un November.

In addition, younger Latino voters have less experience with mail ballots and are less confident in ballots being delivered on time this year.

A Pew Research study conducted earlier in March found that one in 10 people eligible to vote for the upcoming elections are immigrants.

The study also said that's California has more immigrant eligible voters, with 5.5 million compared to any other states.