One-in-Six Asian American Voters in 2022 Reported Feeling Threatened When Voting While Non-Voters Say Better Candidates and Information Would Entice Them to Vote

Advancing Justice – AAJC Commissions First of Its Kind Survey To Include Voter and Non-Voter Asian American Respondents

Washington, D.C. — Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC’s (Advancing Justice – AAJC) latest poll breaks new ground and builds on previous polls of Asian American voters by getting at the heart of what motivates Asian Americans to vote—and what prevents some Asian Americans from voting.

The 2022 National Poll of Asian American Non-Voters and Voters released today finds that one-in-six Asian American voters described feeling threatened when they went to the polls in 2022, though most Asian American voters generally found the voting process easy. When asked, non-voters reported that better candidates and more information on candidates might entice them to vote in future elections.

“Asian Americans are the fastest growing electorate in the United States with more than 8.4 million who are registered to vote,” said Terry Ao Minnis, Senior Director of Census and Voting Programs at Advancing Justice – AAJC. “This survey represents a unique study of Asian Americans’ experiences with voting and insight into why approximately 5.2 million Asian Americans have yet to register to vote.”

The 2022 National Poll of Asian American Non-Voters and Voters was conducted by BSP Research in the weeks following the 2022 midterm elections. The survey interviewed 2,100 Asian American voters and 700 non-voters about their views and experiences during the election.

“More than one-in-two voters reported encountering what they thought to be election-related misinformation at least ‘somewhat often’,” said Taeku Lee, lead researcher. “This suggests that more research is needed to understand the relationship between misinformation and voters' experiences. Moreover, additional research should examine whether this relationship holds true across subgroups and for specific demographics (like Limited English Proficient Asian Americans).”

Our latest report on Asian American Experiences in the 2022 Midterm Elections is now live !! Check it out ✍️ https://bit.ly/votersurveyreport Tweet

Key findings from Asian American non-voters:

• Non-voters relied on a variety of mainstream and social media sources for their news but had less confidence and trust in election news coverage.
• Many non-voters reported likely encountering misinformation in the 2022 elections.
  • Fifty-nine percent of unregistered citizens and 60% of registered non-voters reported encountering information that they thought might have been made-up either “very often” or “somewhat often.”
• Non-voters were less likely to be contacted about the election than voters, especially from campaigns and parties.

Key findings of Asian American voters:

• Asian Americans who voted in 2022 overwhelmingly felt confident that votes were properly counted, believed that the elections were well run, and reported that voting was easy.
• About 80% of voters trusted the mainstream and social media sources they relied on at least “a fair amount.”
  • More than two-thirds cited mainstream media as their source and almost one-in-two cited social media sources.
• Two-in-three Asian Americans chose to vote absentee or early. The most common reasons cited for voting absentee or early were long lines and limited hours on Election Day, COVID concerns, the convenience of absentee or early voting, and scheduling conflicts.
• Two-in-five voters were contacted by parties and campaigns and one-in-four were contacted by non-partisan community-based organizations.

Read the full survey report here.

About Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC
Advancing Justice – AAJC is a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all.

Contact:
Michelle Boykins, 202-604-1760
[email protected]