STATEWIDE POST-ELECTION POLL REVEALS MULTI-ETHNIC VIEWS OF ELECTION, COVID-19, AND RACE RELATIONS:
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS VALUE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION, BUT DO NOT THINK PROP 16 IS A GOOD IDEA, THEY ALSO LEAD CALIFORNIA MAIL-IN VOTING EFFORT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Farrah Su
Marketing and Communications Manager
Phone: (323) 388-5521
Email: farrah@causeusa.org
Los Angeles, CA, November 24, 2020 -- Statewide polling conducted from November 4 to November 15 revealed multi-ethnic attitudes towards the November 3rd General Election ballot, Covid-19, and race relations in the United States. The poll is the third in an ongoing series that began in February of this year and surveys 1,300 adults statewide with over-samples of Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Pacific Americans (APA) to allow more detailed analysis.
The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) with Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), the Los Angeles Urban League, and the Los Angeles Times, conducted this poll in an effort to explore diverse reactions to Presidential Candidates, Statewide Propositions, the continued impact of Covid-19 across communities, openness to a Covid-19 vaccine, and race relations both locally and nationally.
CALIFORNIANS VALUE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION BUT DO NOT SUPPORT PROPOSITION 16
The poll revealed that 67% of Californians believe that diverse representation based on race, gender, ethnicity, and national origin is important. The data, however, also revealed that 44% of Californians feel that Proposition 16 was a bad idea, 33% feel that it was a good idea and 22% are not sure. This trend is also reflected in the APA poll respondents' answers where 75% of APAs believe diversity and representation are important, second only to African Americans (84%). When asked about Proposition 16, 46% of APAs felt it was a bad idea while 35% felt it was a good idea. In diving even further into the data, there are also ethnic trends with the Chinese community responding 2 to 1 against Proposition 16 while other APA’s are more evenly split.
“By breaking down the data into different racial and ethnic identities, we are able to see where differences and commonalities exist between communities,” says Nancy Yap, CAUSE Executive Director. “The data shows that all communities value diverse representation. However, the data also shows that not all communities believe that Proposition 16 addresses the lack of representation. The work that our organizations face revolves around taking this common value and finding solutions that suit all of our needs.”
The survey also explored different communities’ perceptions of race relations with the following results:
All groups continue to be aware of discrimination against APAs (63% November, 68% July, 55% February) which could be an indication that everyone is aware of the increase in discrimination since the start of Covid-19 in the US (March).
48% of Californians perceive relations between different races to be Excellent/Good, with responses 10% for excellent and 30% for good. This dropped from 57% in February, before the impact of COVID-19 and civil unrest over the summer. APA’s perception of race relations in California dropped the most of all groups, from 59% in February to 39% in November.
A majority of Californians (68%) view U.S. race relations as just fair/poor, while 29% view it as excellent/good.
CALIFORNIA APA COMMUNITY VOTE BY MAIL RATES HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY
The COVID-19 Pandemic has affected this year’s November 3rd 2020 Election process with the statewide requirement of mailing ballots to all eligible voters due to concerns around Covid-19. This change in the voting process was well-received in California as shown from the 75% of all poll respondents who shared that they took advantage of the vote by mail process in this election. In the poll, the APA community’s vote by mail response was 9% higher than all other communities, with 84% of the APA participants sharing that they voted by mail or dropped off their ballot. All communities also expressed support for the adoption of this year’s voting system for future elections at 71%, with 79% of APAs in support.
“Voting by mail makes it easier for immigrants to vote,” says Charlie Woo, CAUSE Board Chair. “Having the opportunity to study propositions at your own pace, without pressure, and with the support of translated resources, enables voters to make more informed decisions. This is why CAUSE advocates for voter information to be translated into multiple languages, ensuring more access for eligible voters.”
APA COMMUNITY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT COVID-19, MAINTAINING THAT POSITION AMONG OTHER COMMUNITY POLL RESPONDENTS SINCE JULY.
When asked whether they were worried about getting Covid-19 (personally/immediate family), APAs and Latinos were most concerned (76%), followed by African Americans (74%) and then White respondents (66%). APAs also had the highest percentage that believes the worst is yet to come in both Covid-19’s impact on the health of Californians (66%) and the California economy (68%), maintaining themselves as the group with the highest COVID-19 concerns since the July poll. In addition, more than half of all the poll respondents, at 59%, were concerned about COVID-19 restrictions lifting too quickly, with the African American and APA communities expressing the highest concerns at 78% and 60%.
When asked whether they were likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Asian Pacific Americans responded as most likely to get the vaccine. This included 80% likely to get the vaccine if encouraged by scientists, doctors, and health professionals. Other communities varied in their responses (71% White, 61% Latino, 48% African American.) This also includes 33% likely if encouraged by political leaders, while other communities were slightly lower (27% White, 21% African American, and 20% Latino.)
The survey results also captured breakdowns on the Presidential Race. Californians overall preferred Joe Biden (62%) over Donald Trump (30%), with voters selecting Joe Biden (64%) over Donald Trump (34%). These numbers from voters matched the official California election result numbers. Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) trended similarly for Joe Biden (66%) over Donald Trump (27%). In comparison, other groups preferred Joe Biden over Donald Trump as follows: African American 81%/12%, Latino 64%/23%, White 56%/42%.
This third survey enables the tracking of sentiments around race relations throughout 2020. With events such as Covid-19 and summer civil unrest, it is important to monitor the changes and continue to inform collaborative work with this data. The partnership between CAUSE, HOPE, and LA Urban League will continue into 2021 to find ways to build bridges and strengthen solutions that represent the diversity of California communities.
This poll was conducted online by the polling firm Strategies 360 from November 4 to 15. The full questions and poll results can be accessed on the firm’s website and Los Angeles Times coverage of the results can be seen here.
About CAUSE
Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based organization with a mission to advance the political empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community through nonpartisan voter outreach, training, and education as well as leadership development.
Since its founding in 1993, CAUSE has led efforts to drive APA civic engagement, from facilitating in-language Get Out The Vote workshops in the Greater Los Angeles Area to hosting the first-ever APA-facing gubernatorial debate in California history in 2018. CAUSE plans to continue efforts to mobilize the community by providing the knowledge, access, and network to inspire APAs of all ages to voice their vote.
For further inquiries, please contact us by phone at (213) 269-4639 or email at info@causeusa.org. General information can be found on our website at www.causeusa.org.
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