A new report from California Common Cause and UC Riverside’s Center for Social Innovation found the desire for policy change and wanting their voices heard are the primary motivating factors for getting Asian Americans and Latinx voters to the polls in November.

The conclusion comes from a series of focus groups conducted in California among first time voters and those with a low likelihood to vote.

Separate focus groups being conducted by others will soon be released about Black voters.

Asian American and Latinx are voting at half the rate of the (general) electorate.”

On the positive side, voting in the 2018 midterm elections was at a record level. That has some feeling confident that voters will turn out in November as well.

“Donald trump nationalized that election (2018 midterm) and he brings out passions for or against,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, Director of the Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside. “In many ways 2018 was a referendum for Donald Trump.”

There was a “direct expression for change that is centered around a desire to replace a high profile incumbent,” Francisco Pedraza, the lead researcher on the project from the Center for Social Innovation, UC Riverside.

“We need to pay very close attention to election materials,” added Pedraza. “This includes language translation.”

Ramakrishnan said he expects a high voter turnout in 2020 , but covid 19 presents some complications that might not make it as high as might be expected.

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