Press Release: Multilingual Poll of Asian American Voters in California Reveals Critical Insights for 2024 Election
New poll reveals that Asian American voters in California overwhelmingly plan to vote in this year’s election, but nearly half are not being contacted by either political party
Sept. 6, 2024 — Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment Education Fund (AAPI FORCE-EF), AAPI Data, and Asian American Futures released the 2024 California Asian American Voter Insights report — publishing findings from a comprehensive multilingual survey shedding light on the political attitudes, voter intentions, and policy priorities of Asian American voters in California ahead of the 2024 election.
California is home to a rapidly-growing Asian American electorate, with over 4 million eligible voters across the state — and this information is critical to understanding the motivations and needs of this increasingly influential population of the electorate.
The report will be highlighted during a virtual press briefing at 12:30pm PT today (RSVP here).
Topline findings include:
- 88% of California Asian American voters say they plan to vote for President, Congress and other offices this November. Almost three-quarters (73%) say they are absolutely certain they will vote this year.
- 85% of young voters (ages 18-34) said they are planning to vote, with 64% saying they are absolutely certain they will vote this year.
- Nearly half of Asian American voters in the state (46%) say they have not been contacted by either the Democratic or Republican parties, including 51% who say they have not been contacted by the Democratic Party, and 59% who say they have not been contacted by the Republican Party.
- Asian American voters in California named jobs and the economy (87%), health care (83%), and inflation (83%) as the top three issues that would get them to the polls on Election Day, regardless of how they felt about any particular candidate.
- Almost half of Asian American voters surveyed (49%) agree that local governments should shift spending from law enforcement to programs that address economic and social issues for minorities/disadvantaged communities.
- 86% favor programs designed to help Black people, and other people of color, including Asian Americans and Latinos, get better access to educational opportunities.
“This report highlights a critical need — we must increase our outreach efforts to Asian American voters across California. To achieve this, we urgently need more funding to ensure our communities are fully engaged and represented in the political process,” said Timmy Lu, Executive Director of AAPI FORCE-EF. “Once again, the data in this report confirms what we’ve long known: Asian American voters in California support policies that benefit working-class people. Leaders seeking the support of our communities would do well to prioritize housing and comprehensive solutions to homelessness.”
While nearly 9 in 10 Asian American voters in California say they plan to vote this November, nearly half say they have not been contacted by either Democratic or Republican Party. The results suggest that there has been a lack of meaningful engagement from political party organizations with Asian American voters across the state.
According to the survey, Asian American voters highly endorse policies addressing economic and social issues for minorities and disadvantaged communities, in line with socially progressive priorities. An overwhelming majority of California Asian American voters support wraparound strategies to address homelessness in their communities, with a majority indicating they approve of providing more affordable housing (81%), providing more mental health and drug-treatment programs (80%), and providing more shelters (72%).
Focusing on young Asian American voters (ages 18-34) in California, the survey finds they are concerned about basic needs. A vast majority of those polled said that the cost of housing (86%); health care (85%); inflation (81%); jobs and the economy (81%); and education (81%) are “very” or “extremely important” to them in deciding how to vote in November.
“This report shows that young Asian Americans strongly support progressive values on important issues, but highlights a challenge in bridging the gap between political values and civic action. It also shows that political parties aren't doing enough to reach out and engage with young Asian American voters, which may be contributing to this values-to-action gap,” said Eunice Kwon, Director of Programs & Partnerships of Asian American Futures. “We need to create outreach strategies that connect with young Asian Americans and address the barriers they face in getting involved. Their voices deserve to be heard and respected.”
In terms of the presidential candidates, Asian American voters in the state viewed Vice President Kamala Harris more favorably than Donald Trump: 43% said they have a “very” or “somewhat favorable” impression of Harris, compared to 32% who said the same about Trump. It should be noted that the survey was conducted in April and May 2024, prior to President Joe Biden’s resignation from the presidential campaign. It is likely that the favorability gap between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has widened in the time since, based on the surge in Asian American volunteer and civic efforts for Harris in the month after her candidacy as President.
“With a critical election just months away, data-informed insights of key voter blocs, like Asian Americans, will play a crucial role for political campaigns and nonpartisan organizations seeking to elevate and engage our communities in November,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, Executive Director and Founder of AAPI Data. “The findings from this survey reflect key trends and insights from national data on Asian American voters: our communities are ready to be civically engaged and mobilized — we’re just waiting for the call.”
Full results from the survey, which will be presented during a virtual press and community briefing this afternoon, are available here.
Methodology
The survey of 1,253 Asian American voters in California was conducted using mixed modes, self-administered responses via an online panel and telephone interviews of respondents selected from a classified list of Asian American voters for the six largest ethnic groups (Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese) — which collectively represent 85% of the eligible voter population of Asian Americans in California. Surveys were offered in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, and Vietnamese and were fielded from April 4 to May 26, 2024. Respondents qualified for the survey if they indicated on a screener questionnaire that they were currently registered to vote at their present address.
The data were weighted using a post-stratification ranking method based on: 1) key demographic factors (age, education, gender, and nativity) by Asian ethnicity, and 2) the party distribution of registered voters by Asian ethnicity. The survey has a 4% margin of error, which incorporates sample size, the design effect of the study, and the survey's post-stratification weights.
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Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment Education Fund (AAPI FORCE-EF) is a statewide network that builds progressive Asian American and Pacific Islander governing power in California through integrated voter engagement, policy advocacy, and narrative change. Learn more at aapiforce-ef.org.
AAPI Data is a national research and policy organization producing accurate data to support community narratives that drive action toward enduring solutions for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Learn more at aapidata.com.
Asian American Futures (AAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that envisions a future in which all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are valued as essential parts of the American narrative. Learn more at asianamericanfutures.org.