New Poll Highlights Key Role Women of Color Played in 2018 Election

April 4, 2019 by Dan McCue
New Poll Highlights Key Role Women of Color Played in 2018 Election
Kassie Phebillo, left, and Maya Patel, of TX Votes, on the first day of early voting at the University of Texas at Austin. (The Pew Charitable Trusts/TNS)

Black, Latina, Asian-American and Pacific Islander women voted in historic numbers in 2018, inspired by issues they felt made it impossible for them to sit on the sidelines, a new poll says.

The data was collected by Intersections of Our Lives, a collaborative of three reproductive rights organizations, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda; and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum.

The poll found that 88 percent of what the organizations described as “women of color voters” believed that the stakes were simply too high in 2018 not to vote in the midterm election, and it’s likely they’ll turn out again in large numbers in 2020.

That’s because a solid 75 percent of survey respondents said they continue to have “serious concerns” about the trajectory of the country, and 74 percent doubt the country will be safe for the next generation.

This last sentiment was particularly strong among Black women, but a majority of all respondents described themselves as feeling “angry, disgusted, scared, sad or nervous.”

“Our national survey findings make it clear that women of color are a powerful voice in the electorate that shouldn’t be ignored – we are paying attention and participating in our democracy at higher rates than ever before,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

According to Intersections of Our Lives, there are an estimated 63 million women of color living in the United States today and over the next four decades the community is expected to almost double.

This growing population is becoming an increasingly strong voice in the electorate, with post-election data demonstrating women of color voting at higher rates in the 2018 election than in past midterm elections, the collaborative said.

To support that contention, it pointed to a recent analysis by TargetSmart, the political data firm.

TargetSmart found that in Florida the number of women of color who voted grew by more than 70 percent, from representing 13 percent of voters in 2014 to 17 percent in 2018. And in Texas, the number of women of color who voted more than doubled from 2014 to 2018 and grew from representing 12 percent of voters in 2014 to 15.4 percent in 2018.

The new Intersections of Our Lives poll found that:

  • Three-quarters of women of color voters supported the Democratic candidates in statewide and federal races;
  • One-in-five women of color voters supported Republican candidates in statewide and federal races;
  • Women of color said that they voted for candidates because they felt a need for change and because the candidates reflected their values;
  • 37 percent of women of color who voted for a Democratic member of Congress said their vote represented a need for change;
  • 28 percent of women of color who voted for a Republican member of Congress did so to reflect their values;
  • 74 percent of the women of color who voted for Democrats said Democratic candidates earned their vote. They did not vote for the Democrat as a reaction to or a rejection of the alternative;
  • 71 percent of women of color voters felt satisfied with the candidates they had to choose from in the 2018 election. Yet they would prefer to see more women of color candidates and candidates acknowledging the issues they care about.

“The poll confirms what we have known all along: that women of color perceive policies intersectionally and that our collective experiences motivate us to demand that our elected officials act now for justice and equity for our communities,” said Marcela Howell, president and founder of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.

While the poll found high voter participation among women of color it also found a significant number of them encountered problems at the polls.

  • 33 percent of respondents said they experienced an issue voting, such as being asked to show an ID to an election official, and
  • 23 percent left their polling place believing their vote was not counted accurately.

As for the present and future, the poll found that a majority of women of color are paying close attention to the actions of their elected officials and want to see progress made on the issues they care about – including access to clean water, access to affordable health care, and ending racial discrimination.

While the priorities of women of color are not monolithic, common ground exists. The top issues women of color want to see members of Congress make progress on over the next two years include:

  • Ending racial/ethnic/cultural discrimination (62 percent);
  • Ensuring people with pre-existing conditions can still access health insurance (62 percent);
  • Ensuring access to clean water (62 percent);
  • Ensuring everyone has access to affordable health care (60 percent);
  • 84 percent of women of color voters believe candidates should support women making their own decisions about their reproductive health.
  • 62 percent of women of color voters say they will be watching their elected officials in Congress more closely compared to previous elections.

The poll was conducted by SKDKnickerbocker between January 23 and February 14, 2019. It included interviews of 2,663 adult women who identify as Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino, of a Spanish-speaking background, Asian American or Pacific Islander and who voted in the 2018 midterm elections.

The survey was made available in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean and was administered online and by telephone. The margin of error for the poll is +/-1.9 percentage points.

A+
a-
  • Minority Voters
  • voting
  • Women
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Voting

    March 22, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Judge Upholds DC Law Giving Noncitizens Voting Rights

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday against the District of Columbia Board of Elections that sought to... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday against the District of Columbia Board of Elections that sought to invalidate a law giving noncitizens a right to vote in local elections. The Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act would allow anyone who is a resident... Read More

    February 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    White House Steps Up Effort to Get Voting Information to the Public

    WASHINGTON — Emails, new signage and three “national days of action” are all part of a stepped up effort by... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Emails, new signage and three “national days of action” are all part of a stepped up effort by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure voters know their rights and are able to participate in 2024 elections. The initiatives are part of the administration’s ongoing effort... Read More

    February 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Cornel West Secures Spot on South Carolina Ballot for November

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dr. Cornel West, who is waging an independent campaign for the presidency under the banner of his... Read More

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dr. Cornel West, who is waging an independent campaign for the presidency under the banner of his Justice for All Party, has secured a spot on the November ballot in South Carolina. West, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer professor of Philosophy and Christian practice at... Read More

    January 25, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Voter Turnout in New Hampshire Exceeded Expectations

    CONCORD, N.H. — Voter turnout for the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary on Tuesday exceeded the secretary of state’s expectations... Read More

    CONCORD, N.H. — Voter turnout for the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary on Tuesday exceeded the secretary of state’s expectations despite the fact many complained beforehand that this year’s contest lacked the oomph of previous primary seasons. Numbers released Wednesday by Secretary of State David Scanlan... Read More

    January 18, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    No Labels Urges DOJ to Investigate Alleged Conspiracy to Subvert Voting Rights

    WASHINGTON — No Labels, the nonpartisan group currently trying to build support for a third-party ticket in the 2024 presidential... Read More

    WASHINGTON — No Labels, the nonpartisan group currently trying to build support for a third-party ticket in the 2024 presidential election, urged the Justice Department on Thursday to investigate an alleged conspiracy to subvert Americans’ voting rights. According to the group, a number of individuals, ranging... Read More

    December 15, 2023
    by Dan McCue
    Outgoing South Carolina Mayor Urges Lawmakers to Adopt Ranked Voting

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — The outgoing mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, would like to see the state change the way its... Read More

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — The outgoing mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, would like to see the state change the way its voters choose their elected officials. Mayor John Tecklenburg lost his bid for a third term in November, and his last city council meeting will be on... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top