ImpreMedia, one of the nation’s premier Spanish-language media companies, has teamed with Latino Decisions to conduct an extensive Election Eve poll of Latino voters. Latino Decisions has completed 5,600 interviews with Latinos who have already voted or were certain to vote – nationally and in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, MA, NC, NM, NV, OH, TX and VA.
While results regarding who Latinos voted for and against will not be made public until after the polls close, ImpreMedia and Latino Decisions released findings regarding the top issues motivating Latino voters in the 2012 election.
Asked about the most important issues facing the Latino community that should be addressed by politicians, this is what Latino voters offered up as the top four issues:
- Create new jobs/fix the economy: 53%
- Immigration reform/DREAM Act: 35%
- Education reform/schools: 20%
- Health care: 14%
According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
For the fastest growing group of voters in America, immigration has become a something of a litmus test. Immigration is to Latino voters what civil rights issues are to African American voters, Israel is to many Jewish voters, choice is to many women voters and life is to many evangelical voters. A candidate’s position on immigration defines for many Latino voters whether those seeking their votes respect the community for their hard work and contributions, or see them as outsiders who are somehow threatening.
The fact that Latino voters rank immigration reform and the DREAM Act as the second most important issue is not good news for Romney and the Republicans. Their lurch to the right has branded the candidate and the party as anti-immigrant and anti-Latino. Meanwhile, Obama’s gutsy decision to offer relief and work permits to 1.4 million DREAMers may turn out to be a critical turning point in the campaign.
Beginning at 8pm Eastern and each hour thereafter as polls close throughout the night, state level results on candidate voter preferences will be released. The entire poll results will become available after 8pm Pacific including all national and state specific data.
- Access impreMedia/Latino Decisions Election Eve polling results (updated with new information throughout evening)
- Read Latino Decisions’ description of their poll methodology
