As November gets closer and candidates pull out all the stops to conquer the all-important Latino vote, polls have increasingly been shedding a light on the issues that most worry the demographic this election season. In Philadelphia, financial concerns are top of mind, followed by crime, healthcare and housing. Similarly, Latinos in California point to inflation as the main issue that worries them, with the caveat that they tend to blame corporations, not politicians, for it.
Whether these issues are concerning enough for Latinos to actually register and vote come November is the question on everyone's mind. But a poll by Entravision in partnership with AltaMed Health Services and BSP Research, seems to provide a positive sign towards voter turnout as almost 9 out of 10 Latino voters (87%) said they are certain to vote.
Nevertheless, only 68% feel informed enough to vote and 32% nationwide feel they need more information, a sign that both Democrats and Republicans still have work to do to woo the demographic, especially since the study also revealed that 52% reported that they had not been contacted by anyone regarding voter registration or voting, a number similar to a recent UnidosUS poll.
As for the issues, the report, which is part of a series titled 2024 National Latino Tracking Poll, coincided with other recent studies Latinos' top concerns include the cost of living and inflation (57%), jobs and the economy (35%) followed by housing costs and affordability at 28%.
In addition to economic concerns, 27% of Latino voters cited abortion and reproductive rights as a major issue, while 26% were focused on gun violence. Healthcare costs, immigration reform, and border issues were also identified as important, with 19% of respondents expressing concern over each of these topics.
The poll also explored Latino voters' views on key policy proposals. An overwhelming majority, 87%, support allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, and 83% favor a law to ban price gouging. Seventy percent of respondents want guaranteed access to abortion, and 69% support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for a long time.
