Latino voters swing pro-choice: Tri-state poll reveals support for abortion rights in key battlegrounds

A vast majority of Latino voters in California, and in the battleground states of Nevada and Arizona say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights, according to a poll by BSP Research, commissioned by Latino Community Foundation (LCF), released on Thursday.

The results of the tri-state survey, which assessed voters' views on various other topics, found that 77% of Latino respondents in California, 74% in Arizona and 82% in Nevada said they were more inclined to vote for "a candidate who holds a pro-choice position and would advocate for making sure abortion access was available nationwide".

President Joe Biden would benefit from this trend if it was the deciding issuea at the time of casting the ballot in the November. The Democrat has been placing abortion rights as a centerpiece issue for his campaign, chastising Republicans who have implemented restrictive measures across the country.

On Thursday, the Biden campaign kicked off a new seven-figure ad campaign focused on abortion, with the goal of linking restrictive state abortion bans to former President Donald Trump.

Since the Supreme Court Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and transferred decisions about abortion access to the states, many Republican-controlled states have implemented abortion restrictions.

The consequences for the Latino community in the U.S.? Research has shown that Latinas are the demographic that needs to drive the furthest to get an abortion in the United States, while birth rates among Hispanic women in those states with abortion bans had increased two times higher than the average in those same regions.

"Latino voters will be critical to determining who wins the presidential race in Arizona and Nevada, two battleground states," said Julián Castro, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation.

Castro also said that Latino voters, "may well determine who wins control of the U.S. House of Representatives given their heavy presence in several battleground Congressional districts in California."

"Speaking to the concerns of Latinos must be a top priority for candidates up and down the ballot this fall," he added in a press release.

The Latino Community Foundation commissioned the poll from BSP Research, who surveyed 1,200 Latino registered voters, 400 per state. Respondents were selected at random and contacted via live phone calls, text messages, or online platforms between April 21 and April 28, based on their preference for English or Spanish.

"This poll finds clear evidence that increasing messaging about candidate contrasts is pivotal to their decision-making process," said Dr. Matt Barreto, President of BSP Research, lead pollster on Latino Community Foundation California Survey.

"When it comes to policy issues, the poll continues to find Latino support for access to abortion rights, government action on climate change, additional measures to reduce gun violence, and holding corporations accountable for price gouging."

Other key findings: Biden leads among Latino voters

Latino voters said that their personal economic situation stands atop of the issues they care about the most. The cost of living ranked first in their list of concerns, followed by concerns over housing costs.

However, a majority of Latinos do not place blame on President Biden for costs, and instead point to other factors for inflation and high costs including corporate greed and the global pandemic.

Inquiries about their preferred presidential candidate for 2024 reveal President Biden's commanding lead over Trump in all three states. Biden holds a +20 advantage in Arizona (53-33), a +15 margin in Nevada (50-35), and a +22 lead in California (56-34) among members of this demographic.

Approximately 10 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the states of California, Arizona, and Nevada, making up nearly 3 in 10 Latino voters in the nation, the researchers noted.