Following National Political Conventions, Latino Vote Solidifies but Enthusiasm Flattens
Latino voter enthusiasm showed no noticeable increase after the
political conventions even though both parties made a concerted effort
to reach out to Latinos through speakers and targeted messages,
according to this weeks impreMedia-Latino Decisions tracking poll. The
number of voters saying they were certain to vote in the upcoming
presidential election dropped to 82% from last weeks 85%, and the
number of voters saying they were very enthusiastic about the 2012
election reduced from 54% to 49%.
Nevertheless, the vast majority of Latino voters seem to have made up
their minds and 66% of Latino voters say they are with Obama, while
Romney garners only 29% of the Latino vote.
Despite two weeks of continual political coverage by both parties,
Latino voter turnout is still very much in question, noted Matt Barreto
of Latino Decisions. We did not observe any noticeable increase in
levels of enthusiasm or certainty to vote; in fact we saw a small
decrease compared to two weeks ago. It could be we are seeing too much
fighting and negative politics.
Voters continued to express a deep concern about the economy, but
Republicans in Congress get most of the blame with a 56% unfavorable
rating when asked who was most responsible for the lack of economic
growth. A clear majority of Latinos say fighting by both parties in
Congress is the real reason the economy is not recovering faster, and
neither party gets majority approval on outreach to the Latino
community.
We know Latino voter turnout is going to be critical in states like
Colorado, Nevada, Florida and Virginia, said Barreto, and while a big
majority of Latinos currently plan to vote for Obama, the bigger
question is just how many will come out to vote? In 2008 we saw record
turnout, but so far in 2012 enthusiasm remains a concern.
The weekly tracking poll is part of impreMedia’s commitment to provide
unique insights and superior coverage of the upcoming 2012 presidential
elections. We understand how critical the Latino vote will be in
determining the outcome of this election. With the end of the political
conventions voters will now get a unique perspective on how the
important bread and butter issues are addressed by each candidate,
stated Monica Lozano, CEO of impreMedia.
To view more data and information on this weeks poll visit: www.laopinion.com/section/voto.
METHODOLOGY
This is the third release of an 11-week tracking poll of Latino
registered voters. Each week impreMedia and Latino Decisions will
release a new rolling cross-section of 300 completed interviews with
Latino registered voters across all 50 states. Interviews are conducted
in English or Spanish, at the preference of the respondent, all
conducted by bilingual interviewers at Latino Decisions calling center,
Pacific Market Research. The survey averaged 10 minutes in length, and
has an overall margin of error of 5.6% on results that approach a 50/50
distribution. All respondents confirm that they are Hispanic or Latino
and currently registered to vote.
This third wave of the survey was fielded August 31-Sept 6, 2012.
About impreMedia
impreMedia is the leading Hispanic news and information company in the
U.S. in online and print. impreMedia’s multi-platform offerings range
from online to video, social media, mobile, audio, newspapers and
magazines, including the http://www.impre.com
portal. 25.5%
of U.S. Hispanic adults use an impreMedia
network
product. The network
is also the nation’s largest Hispanic
newspaper publisher with newspapers in top U.S. Hispanic markets,
reaching 15
markets total that represent 59% of the U.S. Hispanic
population. Its leading publications include La Opinión in Los Angeles
and El Diario La Prensa in New York. For more information, visit: http://www.impremedia.com.
ImpreMedia portals and publication websites are: www.impre.com,
and www.lavibra.com.
About Latino Decisions
Latino Decisions is a joint effort between Pacific Market Research, a
nationally known research firm, and Dr. Gary Segura and Dr. Matt
Barreto, leading Latino politics scholars and professors at Stanford
University and the University of Washington. Both Dr. Segura and Dr.
Barreto are experienced and nationally respected researchers who have a
deep understanding of U.S. Latino culture and advanced quantitative
research skills. Their expertise, coupled with Pacific Market Researchs
logistical capabilities, makes Latino Decisions a leader in the field.
For more information, please visit www.latinodecisions.com
or call 877-271-2300.