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Wednesday, 8 October, 2008 0:11 AM
New Survey
Shows Significant Numbers of Latino Voters Still Persuadable in
Battleground States
Poll
of Registered Latinos in Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Nevada
Suggests High Turnout; the Economy, and Candidate Support for Community
Will Drive Election Outcomes
Photo
courtesy of www.naleo.org
2008
Latino Vote Survey in Key Battleground States Report
LOS
ANGELES -- A significant percentage
of Latino voters in key battleground states are either undecided
or still
open to persuasion in the presidential contest, according to a survey
released today by The National Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed
Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.
The survey
of registered Latinos in Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and
Nevada also demonstrates that Latino voters may turn out in unprecedented
numbers and that the economy is their top election priority. Nearly
a third
of respondents said they had trouble making their mortgage or rent
payments
at some point during the past 12 months.
Issues such
as the war in Iraq, health care and immigration reform are
also at the top of voters' minds. Nearly a third believes there
is no
difference between the Republican and Democratic parties in their
concern
for Latinos.
To view
the results, including presidential horserace numbers, visit the
NALEO website here: http://www.naleo.org/downloads/2008NALEO_Latino_Voter_Survey.pdf.
"As
the electoral map takes shape, it's increasingly clear the Latino
vote may be decisive,"
said Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the NALEO
Educational Fund. "In key battleground states, Latino voters
are ready to
vote in huge numbers, and a significant percentage is still persuadable.
Underestimating the Latino vote could be disastrous for either party,"
concluded Vargas.
The bilingual
telephone survey was conducted by the public opinion firm
Latino Decisions with the support of the AARP. The firm surveyed
1,600
Latino registered voters drawn equally from official statewide voter
files
in the four states and has a margin of error of +/- 4.7% for each
state.
The poll
indicates strong support among Latino registered voters in
Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada for Senator Barack Obama. In Florida,
however, the candidates are in a statistical tie, with 38% favoring
Senator
John McCain and 35% favoring Senator Obama. The shift seems to reflect
demographic changes in the state's Latino voters that are both generational
and representative of the growing diversity of Latino immigrant
groups now
living in Florida.
One in ten
Latino voters in Florida remains undecided. In addition,
almost 15 percent said their support for either candidate is "not
so
strong," suggesting that a significant share of Latino voters
in the
Sunshine State may still be persuadable. Those findings were largely
mirrored in the other battleground states.
In all four
states, the survey finds there is tremendous enthusiasm
among registered Latinos to cast ballots in the upcoming election.
Nearly
90% of those surveyed say they intend to vote on Election Day. Given
the
growing Latino electorate in states like Nevada, where 59,489 Latino
voters
have registered since 2004, high Latino turnout could determine
the
outcome.
"These
numbers give a unique glimpse into the views of Latino voters,"
said Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President for Social Impact for
AARP.
"AARP is pleased to work with the NALEO Educational Fund to
give greater
voice to Latinos in this pivotal election and help Senators McCain
and
Obama understand the issues that are important to Latino voters
in these
key states," she concluded.
About
the NALEO Educational Fund
The NALEO
Educational Fund is the leading organization that empowers
Latinos to participate fully in the American political process,
from
citizenship to public service. The NALEO Educational Fund is a national
non-profit, non-partisan organization whose constituency includes
nearly
6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide.
Source:
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
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