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Despite political fatigue, Indian-American voters in the US mid-term elections are leaning toward Democratic candidates, a national survey among Asian and Pacific Islander American communities said.
The survey by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) showed overwhelming inclination among the communities to participate in the November 3 midterm elections for 435 Congressional and 35 Senate seats, besides several local public offices. The survey found that more than 90 per cent of registered Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters planned to exercise their franchise in the midterm elections, despite less than desired outreach by the two main political parties.
A national survey by APIAVote and AAPI Data indicates 66% of Indian-American voters will support Democratic candidates in US mid-term elections, with cost of living as the top issue, while over 90% of registered AAPI voters plan high participation despite limited party outreach.
As many as 42 per cent of the AAPI voters surveyed said there was no contact from the Democratic party, while 58 per cent of the respondents said the Republican party also had not reached out to them.
Sixty-six per cent of the Indian-American voters said they would vote for Democratic candidates in both the Congressional and Senate elections. In the Congressional elections, 18 per cent of Indian-Americans surveyed said they would vote for Republican candidates. In Senate races, 22 per cent favoured Republicans.
“With Asian Americans being the fastest-growing electorate in the country, it’s crucial that we have the latest data on what motivates them to turn out and vote,” Karthick Ramakrishnan, Founder and Executive Director of AAPI Data, a research and policy organisation, said. On the question of political participation, 66 per cent of AAPI voters said they were highly engaged, but always felt exhausted when thinking about politics.
The survey reached out to 2,066 registered voters, including 1,896 Asian Americans, 242 Indian-American respondents, and 170 Pacific Islanders. Cost of living and inflation is the top issue for Asian American voters, with 90 per cent terming it very or extremely important followed by healthcare (82 per cent), jobs and unemployment (80 per cent), social security and medicare (80 per cent), and education (79 per cent). The survey was conducted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data. The organisations estimate that 16 million Asian-American and Pacific Islander citizens are eligible to vote in 2026.
