Earlier this month, leading pollsters said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s selection of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate could prove to be popular among Latino voters as Harris is a fierce advocate on a number of issues important to the community. They were right about that increased support—and it wasn’t just among Latino voters, either.
Harris’ selection as the Democratic vice presidential candidate “produced a massive uptick in support for the Democratic ticket, a boost of 11 points for African Americans and 15 points for Latinos,” the African American Research Collaborative and Latino Decisions found on behalf of the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information.
“Because this poll was in the field from August 8 to August 14, and Vice President Biden named Senator Harris as his running mate on August 11,” African American Research Collaborative and Latino Decisions said, “it is possible to assess the impact of this announcement on support for Biden’s candidacy by examining the level of support for Biden before and after the announcement.”
That found a significant boost for the ticket among both demographics in battleground states, they said. “There is a noticeable bump in support for the Democratic ticket among Latinos, going from +33 Biden to +48 Biden, following the Harris announcement.” Among Black voters, “[s]upport for Biden over Trump following the Harris announcement grew by 11 points, going from +68 to +79. Those under 40 say her selection makes them somewhat or much more likely to vote (82%).”
However, enthusiasm is one thing; actually being able to vote is another. Citing concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic, “African Americans voters said they do not have enough knowledge on how to vote by mail and would like more information,” the groups said. “Over one-third of African Americans acknowledge that they do not have sufficient information from their state to know how to vote by mail.” Among Latino voters, “[o]nly 60% of respondents have received adequate information on how to request vote-by-mail ballots.”
Black voters in Georgia and Pennsylvania were especially concerned about possible COVID-19 exposure while voting in person; among Latino voters, concern was greatest in Florida and Texas.
“African American and Latino voters’ fear and lack of information around voting by mail is extremely concerning with less than three months to go until the November election,” Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information’s Page Gardner said. “There is no time to waste in ensuring historically disenfranchised eligible voters have the tools they need to safely cast their ballots.”
Anaís López of Latino Decisions had previously noted that Harris already has a proven record among Latino voters in particular from her previous runs for office and subsequent work as U.S. senator from California. “As attorney general of California, Harris won a majority of support from Latino voters twice in 2010 and 2014 … Not surprisingly, Harris’ work won her the endorsement of Latina civil rights legend Dolores Huerta when she was running to represent the Democratic Party for president.”
“This data makes clear that Latino voters are committed to voting this November, but much more information is needed on vote-by-mail which varies dramatically from state to state,” said Albert Morales of Latino Decisions. And they are showing indications they’re excited about this ticket: “This poll is the first to demonstrate that Senator Harris has the potential to deliver a boost to the Biden campaign with Latinos,” he continued.
