With Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump virtually tied, the support from marginalized groups could play a decisive role in the election outcome, which is anticipated to hinge on narrow margins.
Two new surveys released this week indicate a strong preference for Harris among younger voters of color, with 61% of Latino, 83% of Black, and 63% of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth favoring Harris over Trump. Notably, those supporting Trump showed a greater willingness to reconsider their choice.
The survey, which included 800 respondents from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, was conducted from Oct. 11 to 15 and has a margin of error of ±3.9 percentage points.
The survey results were discussed during a Zoom briefing alongside APIAVote Executive Director Christine Chen, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s Sean Floyd, and Guy Molyneux from Hart Research, which conducted the polling.
Chen, whose organization conducts the bi-annual Asian American Voter Survey, noted that a lot of the organizing within the AAPI community was being done by younger women.
“Harris enjoys a large advantage among young women of color,” she said.
The surveys also reveal key priorities among younger voters of color, with economic issues and reproductive rights at the forefront. Sixty-nine percent of respondents believe abortion should always be legal, and 64% feel that states are making access too challenging.
On immigration, a significant 60% supported a mix of increased border security and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, while only a third backed a border wall.
More than half of those surveyed (54%) reported experiencing racial discrimination, with 64% expressing the importance of electing a president committed to combating racism—a sentiment that resonated particularly strongly with Black respondents (72%).