California Voter Participation Survey
Cross-Tabulation Summary Report
Detailed Findings: Latinos
The respondents to the survey included 221 self-identified Latino or Hispanic infrequent voters and another 211 self-identified Latino nonvoters. Further analysis of these Latino respondents yields additional results.
Right Direction Versus Wrong Track
When asked whether California is going in the right direction or is off on the wrong track, Latinos responded more negatively than other respondents. While half of all infrequent voters think the state is going in the right direction and a third say wrong track, only 37% of Latino infrequent voters say right direction, while 45% say wrong track. Similarly, Latino nonvoters are more likely to feel that California is going on the wrong track (46%) than all nonvoters (37%).
Further, immigrant and first generation Latinos are more negative about the direction of California than later generation Latinos. For the purposes of this report, Latino respondents are divided into two groups. The first group is called “second generation or more” Latinos and is composed of those who—like their parents—were born in the United States. The second group is called less than second generation Latinos and is composed of those who were born abroad, or whose parents were born abroad. Latino second generation or more nonvoters responded 44% right direction and 34% wrong track, while less than second generation Latinos responded 33% right direction and 51% wrong track. Latino infrequent voters were similar. Latino second generation or more infrequent voters were split evenly—44% right direction and 44% wrong track—while less than second generation nonvoters were 34% right direction and 46% wrong track.
Right Direction / Wrong Track |
||||
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
|||
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
|
Right Direction |
50 |
37 |
40 |
37 |
Wrong Track |
33 |
45 |
37 |
46 |
Don’t Know |
17 |
18 |
23 |
17 |
Importance of Voting
Latinos ascribe similar importance to voting as other respondents. Just as with all respondents, Latino nonvoters are more likely than infrequent voters to say that voting is not important. While 80% of Latino infrequent voters say that voting is extremely or very important, only 51% of nonvoters agree. However, while Latino nonvoters hold a more negative view of voting than Latino infrequent voters, they hold a less negative view of voting than all nonvoters. 21% of Latino nonvoters say voting is not so important or not at all important, compared to 26% of all nonvoters.
Importance of Voting |
||||
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
|||
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
|
Extremely Important |
28 |
31 |
22 |
27 |
Very Important |
49 |
49 |
25 |
24 |
Moderately Important |
19 |
15 |
26 |
28 |
Not So Important |
2 |
3 |
13 |
11 |
Not At All Important |
1 |
2 |
13 |
10 |
Most Important Reasons for Not Voting
Latinos, like other respondents, cite being busy as the main reason for not voting and not registering. 29% of Latino infrequent voters and 24% of Latino nonvoters said that being too busy to vote was their most important reason for not voting or registering to vote. Lack of quality candidates was a main reason for Latinos as well (21% for infrequent voters and 9% for nonvoters). For Latino nonvoters, the belief that voting does not make a difference also was significant (11%).
Most Important Reasons for Not Voting or Registering to Vote |
||||
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
|||
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
|
I am too busy to vote |
28 |
29 |
23 |
24 |
There are no candidates that I believe in |
20 |
21 |
10 |
9 |
It’s too hard to get all the information I need to vote |
9 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
There are no issues that affect me |
6 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
I don’t remember to vote / I don’t remember how or where to register to vote |
6 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
Voting doesn’t make a difference |
3 |
2 |
10 |
11 |
Too many issues on the ballot |
2 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
My polling place moves constantly |
* |
1 |
N/A |
N/A |
*Less than one percent.
Barriers in the Voting Process
For Latinos who completed their interview in Spanish, getting voter information in Spanish was the greatest logistical barrier to voting. Among these respondents, 29% said it was difficult to get voter material in their preferred language. This compares to just 4% of all infrequent voters. 85% of Latino voters whose first and primary language is English said that getting information in their preferred language is very easy, compared to 57% of Latino voters whose first and primary language is not English.
With the exception of language, the ease or difficulty posed by barriers for Latino voters was similar to that cited by all infrequent voters. Other barriers to voting include understanding the voter information pamphlet (22% difficult for Latino infrequent voters compared to 20% difficult for all infrequent voters) and getting the necessary information (20% difficult Latino infrequent voters compared to 20% for all infrequent voters).
Other parts of the voting process were less difficult for most Latinos, although there were still challenges. Voting by absentee ballot was described as difficult by 9%, voting at the polling place was described as difficult by 8%, finding one’s polling place was difficult for 6%, and registering to vote was difficult for 4% of Latino infrequent voters. Again, these figures are very similar to results found when looking at all infrequent voters.
There is an information barrier due to language. More than one in three (35%) who completed the survey in Spanish said that getting information is difficult. And 27% of Latinos for whom English is not both their first and primary language said it is difficult.
The following table details results for all Latino infrequent voters.
Voting Process (Latino Infrequent Voters) |
||||
Very Easy |
Some-what Easy |
Difficult |
Don’t Know / Haven’t Done |
|
Reading and understanding the voter information pamphlet |
42 |
24 |
22 |
12 |
Getting the information necessary to make your voting decision |
48 |
27 |
20 |
15 |
Getting voter materials in your preferred language* |
72 |
15 |
9 |
4 |
Voting by absentee ballot |
29 |
10 |
9 |
52 |
Voting at your polling place |
73 |
12 |
8 |
7 |
Finding your polling place |
73 |
18 |
6 |
3 |
Registering to vote |
77 |
18 |
4 |
1 |
*These percentages reflect all Latino respondents. Of those who completed the interviews in Spanish: 37% said very easy, 28% said somewhat easy, 29% said difficult, and 6% did not know.
The following table details results for Latino infrequent voters by language, divided between those Latinos whose first and primary language is English and those whose first and primary language is not English.
VOTING PROCESS: LATINO INFREQUENT VOTERS BY LANGUAGE |
||||||||
LATINO First & Primary Language: English |
LATINO First & Primary Language: NOT English |
|||||||
Very Easy |
Some-what Easy |
Difficult |
Don’t Know / Haven’t Done |
Very Easy |
Some-what Easy |
Difficult |
Don’t Know / Haven’t Done |
|
Reading and understanding the voter information pamphlet |
44 |
34 |
20 |
2 |
38 |
33 |
24 |
5 |
Getting the information necessary to make your voting decision |
52 |
32 |
14 |
2 |
45 |
22 |
27 |
6 |
Getting voter materials in your preferred language |
85 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
57 |
21 |
14 |
8 |
Voting by absentee ballot |
28 |
9 |
8 |
55 |
29 |
10 |
10 |
51 |
Voting at your polling place |
77 |
11 |
7 |
5 |
69 |
14 |
10 |
7 |
Finding your polling place |
75 |
17 |
5 |
3 |
69 |
19 |
8 |
4 |
Registering to vote |
82 |
14 |
4 |
0 |
72 |
21 |
5 |
2 |
Voting Attitudes and Experiences
Latinos have slightly more positive attitudes toward voting than their non-Latino counterparts. Both Latino groups are more likely to say that voting is an important part of being a good citizen; that voting is an important way to voice your opinions on issues that affect your family and community; that voting lets you choose who represents you in government; and that they believe voting makes a difference in the outcome of elections.
However, Latinos have less interest in politics and are less immersed in a pro-voting culture than other respondents. Latinos were less likely to say that they are interested in politics; that their family votes in most elections; that their friends vote in most elections; or that their families discussed political issues and candidates growing up. Latinos were more likely to say that their friends hardly ever talk about politics.
Among Latinos, as with all respondents, positive attitudes toward voting are more common among infrequent voters, while cynicism toward voting is more common among nonvoters.
Latino respondents generally feel positively about voting, see the importance of staying informed (96% infrequent voters and 84% of nonvoters agree), recognize their civic duty (96% infrequent voters and 76% of nonvoters agree), and see the opportunity to voice their opinions through voting (95% and 84%). Further, Latino respondents believe that voting lets you choose who represents you in government (91% and 74%), believe that their votes make a difference in the outcome of the election (90% and 73%), and believe that their votes are counted accurately (89% and 73%).
Despite an overall positive attitude toward voting, Latino infrequent voters and nonvoters are divided in how much they like voting. While 92% of Latino infrequent voters like voting, only 50% of Latino nonvoters do.
The presence of a pro-voting culture is also clearly different between the two Latino groups. Four in five infrequent voters follow politics in the news, while only 58% of nonvoters do. 77% of Latino infrequent voters’ and only 58% of nonvoters’ families vote in most elections, and growing up, 54% of infrequent voters’ families and only 37% of nonvoters families discussed political issues and candidates.
Both Latino groups’ friends are not particularly politically engaged. The majority of Latino infrequent voters and nonvoters agreed that their friends hardly ever talk about politics (58% and 61%, respectively), and only 55% of infrequent voters’ and 49% of nonvoters’ friends vote in most elections.
There is also strong cynicism among some Latinos in each group. One-third of each group says there’s no one on the ballot that they want to vote for and 26% of infrequent voters and 29% of nonvoters say that they believe they make more of a statement by not voting than by voting.
Voting Experiences and Attitudes |
||||
Latino |
Latino |
|||
Agree |
Disagree |
Agree |
Disagree |
|
It is important to stay informed about political issues |
96 |
3 |
84 |
14 |
Voting is an important part of being a good citizen |
95 |
4 |
76 |
19 |
Voting is an important way to voice your opinions on issues that affect your family and your community |
94 |
4 |
84 |
15 |
Poll workers are generally polite and helpful |
89 |
6 |
N/A |
N/A |
I like to vote |
92 |
8 |
50 |
37 |
I believe that when I vote, my vote will be counted accurately |
89 |
10 |
73 |
22 |
Voting lets you choose who represents you in government |
91 |
6 |
73 |
21 |
I believe that my vote makes a difference in the outcome of the election |
90 |
9 |
69 |
30 |
My family votes in most or all elections |
77 |
19 |
58 |
36 |
I am interested in politics and follow it in the news when I have the chance |
80 |
20 |
58 |
40 |
My friends vote in most or all elections |
55 |
31 |
49 |
39 |
Growing up, my family often discussed political issues and candidates |
54 |
43 |
37 |
60 |
My friends hardly ever talk about politics |
58 |
21 |
61 |
37 |
There is no one on the ballot that I want to vote for |
33 |
58 |
58 |
49 |
I make more of a statement by not voting than I would if I voted |
26 |
64 |
29 |
60 |
Most Important Reason to Vote
Latino respondents are most motivated to vote in order to make their voice heard. The majority of infrequent voters (51%) as well as a strong plurality of nonvoters (37%) named making their voice heard and expressing their opinion as the most important reason to vote. This is the top reason for all respondents, and it is even more important for Latinos.
Supporting a particular candidate is also named by a significant proportion of both groups. Further, 10% of nonvoters—including 20% of college-educated nonvoters—said the most important reason to vote is that you can’t complain unless you do.
Most Important Reason to Vote |
||||
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
|||
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
|
Make your voice heard / express your opinion |
43 |
51 |
32 |
37 |
To support a particular candidate |
24 |
24 |
19 |
13 |
Civic duty |
9 |
7 |
9 |
12 |
To support a particular ballot issue |
6 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
Something on ballot affects my family |
3 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
Can’t complain unless you vote |
5 |
2 |
10 |
10 |
To oppose a particular candidate |
2 |
2 |
3 |
* |
Pressure from family & friends |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
Something on ballot affects pocketbook |
1 |
* |
2 |
* |
People struggled for the right to vote |
3 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
To oppose a particular ballot issue |
* |
0 |
1 |
* |
As long as people don’t vote, government will be controlled by corporations/special interests |
* |
0 |
1 |
0 |
*Less than one percent.
Reasons People Don’t Vote
The top reason that Latino respondents do not vote in every election is that they feel that politics are controlled by special interests. More than 60% of both groups agreed that this was a reason they personally do not vote in every election. This reason was particularly popular among college-educated Latinos – 82% of nonvoters and 69% of infrequent voters agreed that this was a reason for not always voting.
Candidates not speaking to respondents was also popular with Latinos, named by 54% of nonvoters and 49% of infrequent voters. Being busy was also a major reason, with 57% of nonvoters and 45% of infrequent voters agreeing that being busy prevents them from voting in every election. This reason was especially resonant with younger Latinos (58% and 50%).
Latinos are more likely than other respondents to agree that having too many things on the ballot is a reason they sometimes don’t vote. More than half of Latino nonvoters (52%) and 45% of infrequent voters agreed with the statement. Too many things on the ballot was an even more prevalent problem among less than second generation Latinos (57% of nonvoters and 51% of infrequent voters).
Difficulty sifting through available information to make good voting decisions was also a barrier to voting (56% of nonvoters and 44% of infrequent voters) for Latinos and was especially common among those who were not at least second generation (62% of nonvoters and 47% of infrequent voters).
Some Latino respondents don’t vote because the issues are too confusing (52% of nonvoters and 42% of infrequent voters). One in three Latino nonvoters and 45% of Latino infrequent voters named lack of interest in politics as a reason that they don’t vote. Latino respondents also named disbelief that their votes would be counted accurately (38% of nonvoters and 31% of infrequent voters) as a reason for not voting. Latino respondents also named distrust of election information (29% of each group); no perceived personal effect of election results (26% of nonvoters, 19% of infrequent voters); and belief that votes don’t make a difference (28% of nonvoters, 15% of infrequent voters).
Latinos also named difficulty getting necessary information (37% of nonvoters and 26% of infrequent voters). Difficulty getting necessary information was more likely to be named by less than second generation Latinos (42% of nonvoters and 31% infrequent voters). Not feeling that the United States is home was a reason for not voting for 8% of both groups, and for 15% of nonvoters and 10% of infrequent voters who were not born in the United States.
Some arguments, although less frequently named, were more likely to be named by Latino respondents. Difficulty using election equipment was more likely to be named by Latino respondents (19% of Latino nonvoters and 18% of Latino infrequent voters), as was discomfort at the polling place (11% of infrequent voters). Difficulty figuring out where to vote (17% of nonvoters and 13% of infrequent voters) was also more likely to be named by Latinos, especially Latinos who completed their interviews in Spanish and Latinos who were born outside the United States.
Latinos were more likely to agree with the statement that voting is an isolating and lonely experience (13% of infrequent voters and 17% of nonvoters). This was also the case among those not born in the United States. Unfriendly poll workers (10% of infrequent voters) was more likely to be named by Latinos, especially those for whom English is not their primary or first language. Finally, lack of access to election information in one’s preferred language was named as a reason for not voting by 17% of infrequent voters and 23% of nonvoters. Of those who completed the interviews in Spanish, this was a great barrier to voting (44% of nonvoters and 43% of infrequent voters).
REASONS PEOPLE DON’T VOTE (Percent Agree) |
||||||||
Infrequent Voters |
Nonvoters |
|||||||
All |
All |
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
All |
All |
1st Gen. |
2nd Gen. |
|
Politics are controlled by special interests |
66 |
63 |
63 |
62 |
69 |
66 |
66 |
71 |
I don’t feel that candidates really speak to me |
49 |
49 |
59 |
30 |
55 |
54 |
56 |
52 |
I am too busy with work or my family |
43 |
45 |
45 |
44 |
46 |
57 |
61 |
47 |
There are just too many things on the ballot |
37 |
45 |
51 |
34 |
44 |
52 |
57 |
44 |
It is too hard to sift through all the information available to make good decisions on how to vote |
45 |
44 |
47 |
37 |
52 |
56 |
62 |
39 |
The issues are too confusing |
42 |
42 |
43 |
36 |
48 |
52 |
56 |
44 |
I am just not interested in politics |
29 |
33 |
38 |
23 |
45 |
45 |
46 |
45 |
I don’t believe that my vote will actually be counted accurately |
22 |
31 |
29 |
36 |
38 |
38 |
36 |
42 |
I don’t trust any of the election information available |
24 |
29 |
32 |
22 |
36 |
29 |
31 |
27 |
It is too hard to get the information necessary to make my voting decision |
25 |
26 |
31 |
19 |
34 |
37 |
44 |
24 |
The results of elections just don’t have any effect on me personally |
19 |
19 |
22 |
10 |
29 |
26 |
27 |
26 |
The voting equipment is difficult to use |
9 |
18 |
17 |
18 |
13 |
19 |
19 |
19 |
I don’t have access to election information in my preferred language |
10 |
17 |
22 |
10 |
12 |
23 |
26 |
18 |
My vote doesn’t make a difference |
20 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
39 |
28 |
29 |
29 |
It’s too hard to figure out where to vote |
11 |
13 |
13 |
8 |
18 |
17 |
19 |
13 |
Voting is an isolating and lonely experience |
8 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
17 |
22 |
8 |
I’m not comfortable in my polling place |
7 |
11 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
10 |
The poll workers are unfriendly or unhelpful |
6 |
10 |
13 |
4 |
11 |
17 |
19 |
16 |
I do not feel that the United States is my home |
6 |
8 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
5 |
The Time Barrier
Latinos who agreed that being busy was a reason for not voting were asked what their specific time barrier was. Latino respondents were similar to others in naming long job hours as the main component of the time barrier. One in three Latino nonvoters and 44% of Latino infrequent voters named long job hours. For employed Latinos, these numbers were even greater, with 61% of infrequent voters and 41% of nonvoters citing long job hours as the greatest component of the time barrier. Voting itself taking too much time was the second most named time barrier, with 19% of infrequent voters and 23% of nonvoters. Lack of childcare and difficulty finding the information to vote were also named. Of respondents with children, childcare was named by 16% of nonvoters and 10% of infrequent voters.
The Information Problem
The greatest problem with elections information is that it is hard to understand, according to Latino respondents. The majority of Latino infrequent voters and 43% of Latino nonvoters rated difficulty understanding information as the greatest information barrier. The untrustworthiness of information was also cited by one in four infrequent voters and one in three nonvoters. One in ten infrequent voters and one in six nonvoters also named the unavailability of information.
Registering to Vote
Latino nonvoters were asked to respond to a series of questions about their history of registering to vote. A number of barriers to registering to vote were cited by Latino nonvoters. Latinos were more likely to not know where to find voter registration forms (37%) than all nonvoters. More than one in five (23%) don’t want to register because they want to make sure that their information remains private, and 22% say that they don’t want to register because they don’t want to get called for jury duty. Almost one in five (18%) said that they thought they were already registered through the DMV.
One in three (33%) say they have been registered at some point before and 30% say they have filled out a voter registration form. Latinos were less likely than other nonvoters to say it is difficult to stay registered because they move around so much (18%).
Registering to Vote (Nonvoters) |
||
|
Latino |
All |
I know where to find voter registration forms |
63 |
68 |
I have been registered before, but not at my current address |
33 |
44 |
I have filled out a voter registration form |
30 |
30 |
I don’t want to register because I want my information to be private |
23 |
23 |
I don’t want to register because I don’t want to get called for jury duty |
22 |
24 |
I thought I was registered through the DMV |
19 |
18 |
I move around so frequently that it is difficult to stay registered |
18 |
24 |
I don’t want to register because it could cause trouble for my family |
8 |
6 |
Issues that Motivate People to Vote
Like all respondents, Latinos are most motivated to vote by the issue of education and schools. Latinos also, especially infrequent voters, are motivated to vote by the issues of the economy, leadership, and health care.
Also motivating, though to fewer Latinos, are the war on Iraq, taxes, national security, the budget, and immigration. Immigration is slightly more of an issue to Latinos than to the population as a whole. The environment, crime, cost of living, growth, housing, and transportation were less motivating to Latino respondents.
Issues That Motivate People To Vote |
||||
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
|||
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
|
Education/Schools |
20 |
22 |
17 |
21 |
The Economy |
17 |
15 |
11 |
9 |
Government/Leadership |
12 |
12 |
13 |
8 |
Health Care |
12 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
War on Iraq |
10 |
8 |
7 |
9 |
Taxes |
9 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
War on Terrorism/National Security |
6 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
The Budget |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
Immigration |
4 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
The Environment |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
Crime and Public Safety |
3 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
Cost of Living |
3 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Growth, Development and Land Usage |
1 |
* |
1 |
0 |
Housing |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
Transportation, Roads and Freeways |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Nothing would motivate me to vote |
8 |
6 |
17 |
15 |
*Less than one percent
Election Day Holiday
An Election Day holiday does not have a significant effect on the likelihood that Latino respondents would vote any more than it does on all respondents. More than 60% of each group says that an Election Day holiday would not make any difference in how likely they are to vote. Of those who do say it will make a difference, a slight majority say it would make them more likely to vote.
Latino respondents for whom English is not their first language and who do not speak English as their primary language, and also those who are less than second generation are more likely to say that having Election Day as a holiday would make them more likely to vote. 23% of infrequent voters and 24% of nonvoters who do not speak English as their first and primary language say having Election Day as a holiday would make them more likely to vote, compared to just 13% of each group who said it would make them less likely to vote. Similarly, less than second generation Latinos were more likely to feel that an Election Day holiday would make them more likely to vote. 24% of nonvoters and 21% of infrequent voters say it would make them more likely, compared to 11% of each group who say it would make them less likely.
Election Day Holiday |
||||
|
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
||
|
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
More likely to vote |
20 |
20 |
16 |
19 |
No difference |
64 |
65 |
70 |
69 |
Less likely to vote |
15 |
15 |
12 |
12 |
Election Information Sources
Respondents were asked about the influence that various sources of election information have on their voting decisions. Among Latino infrequent voters, conversations with family were the most influential information source. More than one in three said they were very influential, and two in three said they were very or moderately influential. TV news was next with 31% finding cable news very influential, and 30% finding network news very influential. In order of influence, next were local newspapers in English, followed by talk radio, conversations with friends, TV campaign ads, local radio news, campaign mail, alternative media, and endorsements from political figures.
Less influential were radio campaign ads, endorsements from community groups, the Internet, campaign phone calls, and door-knocking campaign volunteers.
Non-English language media was somewhat influential overall, but it was extremely influential with Latinos who completed the survey in Spanish. More than one in three (35%) of Spanish-dominant Latinos said non-English media were very influential and another 35% said they were moderately influential.
Election Information Sources (Latino Infrequent Voters) |
||||
Very Influential |
Moderately Influential |
Slightly Influential |
Not At All Influential |
|
Conversations with family |
34 |
30 |
15 |
20 |
Cable TV news in English |
31 |
31 |
14 |
23 |
Network TV news in English |
30 |
34 |
18 |
16 |
Local newspaper in English |
29 |
38 |
16 |
17 |
Talk radio |
24 |
30 |
18 |
25 |
Conversations with friends |
24 |
29 |
20 |
24 |
Media in a language other than English |
24 |
26 |
13 |
35 |
TV ads from a political campaign |
24 |
24 |
23 |
27 |
Local radio news |
23 |
31 |
23 |
22 |
Mail from a political campaign |
23 |
24 |
21 |
31 |
Alternative media |
20 |
28 |
16 |
29 |
Endorsements from public figures |
20 |
24 |
20 |
31 |
Radio ads from a political campaign |
18 |
29 |
21 |
31 |
Endorsements from community groups |
17 |
31 |
18 |
27 |
Internet |
17 |
19 |
16 |
44 |
Phone call from a political campaign |
10 |
20 |
20 |
46 |
Volunteer at your door from a political campaign |
10 |
20 |
23 |
40 |
Language was a large determinant of how influential voters found sources of election information. The influence of information sources divides Latino respondents into two groups: respondents for whom English is both a primary and first language and respondents with a primary language other than English or a first language other than English. Although many members of this latter group may in fact speak English, for the purposes of this report these groups will be labeled the English speaking group and the non-English speaking group. In total, 108 English-speaking Latino infrequent voters and 106 non-English speaking Latino infrequent voters were surveyed.
All but one information source is more influential for the non-English speaking group. Even English television is more influential for the non-English speaking group. The most influential source for the non-English speaking group is conversations with family, while TV campaign ads is next, followed by English cable TV, and media in a language other than English.
Campaign communications are more influential with the non-English speaking group whether they are on TV, in the mail, on the radio, or door-to-door.
English television, English newspapers, and talk radio are the only information sources that were not significantly more influential with the non-English speaking group.
The following table details results regarding information sources for Latino infrequent voters, organized by language.
Election Information
Sources (Percent Very Influential by Language) |
||
English is both 1st & primary language |
English isn’t both 1st & primary language |
|
Conversations with family |
28 |
39 |
TV ads from a political campaign |
14 |
34 |
Cable TV news in English |
29 |
32 |
Media in a language other than English |
15 |
32 |
Mail from a political campaign |
15 |
31 |
Network TV news in English |
29 |
31 |
Local radio news |
16 |
31 |
Conversations with friends |
19 |
29 |
Alternative media |
13 |
28 |
Local newspaper in English |
32 |
26 |
Endorsements from public figures |
16 |
25 |
Radio ads from a political campaign |
12 |
25 |
Talk radio |
24 |
25 |
Endorsements from community groups |
10 |
24 |
Internet |
12 |
22 |
Phone call from a political campaign |
5 |
15 |
Volunteer at your door from a political campaign |
5 |
14 |
Current Events Information Sources
Television is an even more common information source among Latino voters than it is among all voters. 56% of Latino infrequent voters and 64% of Latino nonvoters get most of their information on current events from television. Latino nonvoters are more likely than other nonvoters to receive their information on current events from conversations with family and friends, and are less likely to receive information from the Internet.
Latino subgroups are divided in the information sources they are likely to use. Education is a dividing factor, with college graduates more likely to get their information from newspapers (27% of infrequent voters and 15% of nonvoters) and the Internet (16% of infrequent voters and 10% of nonvoters) and those without a college degree are more likely to get it from television (60% of infrequent voters and 65% of nonvoters).
Current Events Information Sources |
||||
|
Infrequent |
Nonvoters |
||
|
All |
Latinos |
All |
Latinos |
Network TV |
24 |
26 |
27 |
33 |
Cable TV |
23 |
30 |
29 |
31 |
Newspaper |
21 |
21 |
18 |
9 |
Internet |
14 |
7 |
11 |
8 |
Radio |
9 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
Conversations with friends & family |
6 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
Alternative media |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Site Map |
Privacy Policy | About
Calvoter.org
This page was first published on April
7, 2005 |
Last updated on
August 15, 2018
Copyright California Voter Foundation, All Rights Reserved.