Republican candidates took to the debate stage last week, reminding us that the 2024 U.S. presidential race is fast approaching. It’s important to take this time to understand what will motivate multicultural voters to turn out in November 2024. The country faces a period of unprecedented turmoil, but by focusing on the core values and priority issues of diverse populations, we can better understand how to reach these communities.
My Code Intelligence Center’s August 2023 Diverse Political Tracker was developed to highlight how elected officials can deepen relationships with diverse voters by understanding how cultural nuances inform their political attitudes and behaviors. Diverse voters are not satisfied with current politics and are motivated to vote for a better future for everybody. Here’s what the research shows:
DIVERSE VOTERS ARE MOTIVATED TO BE HEARD & INTEND TO VOTE IN 2024
75% of multicultural U.S. citizens are registered to vote and currently 7-in-10 of those registered voters are planning to vote in the November 2024 elections. While the majority are registered to vote, registration is less likely among LGBTQIA+ adults.
More than a quarter of multicultural voters believe that their livelihood can be affected by leadership and voting outcomes, and over half of multicultural voters are motivated to vote when they feel as if they have a voice in what their future looks like.
VOTERS ARE DISSATISFIED WITH POLITICS AND DO NOT FEEL UNDERSTOOD BY LEADERS
Diverse Americans approve of President Joe Biden’s job performance slightly more than they disapprove, but they are not overly impressed. Black Americans give Biden the highest approval rating at 56%, with a similar approval rating for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Over half of diverse Americans do not feel understood by Ron DeSantis, particularly Black Americans. Roughly half of Americans feel they can publicly express their political opinions, only 25% of diverse Americans believe politicians care about what they think, and less than a third trust the government to do what’s right.
The majority of diverse voters agree that circumstances related to personal freedom and foreign relations have improved under the Biden administration relative to the Trump administration. Expressing a nuanced understanding of diverse voters can help gain an edge at the voting booth. For diverse Americans, an ideal Presidential candidate has:
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- Honesty, integrity and intelligence
- Strong leadership skills
- The ability to effectively get things done.
DIVERSE VOTERS WANT A MORE STABLE, EQUITABLE, AND SAFE FUTURE FOR ALL
Roughly half of all voters believe economic issues and gun violence have worsened, and Hispanic voters are especially concerned about the economy and inflation. Voters are extremely dissatisfied with federal responses to economic performance and financial related issues like fuel prices and affordable housing, particularly Hispanic voters.
Perceptions of a number of issues have continued to worsen and impact voters, including:
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- Economic issues
- Gun control and gun violence
- Racial equality
- Domestic violence
- Reproductive healthcare
- Childcare affordability
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) PROGRAMS HAVE BROAD SUPPORT
The vast majority of Americans embrace cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity and understand the harm that systemic racism and discrimination have caused, and 7-in-10 diverse Americans feel that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs are essential to delivering a high quality education to students of all ages. Americans also widely support allocating tax funding to support DEI programs.
REACH DIVERSE VOTERS USING DIGITAL MEDIA AND TV
The top political news source category is digital media for all Americans, but the top individual source for political news is TV (broadcast, cable, satellite). Social media is the leading source of misinformation, making other sources like Streaming TV, Podcasts, Newspapers online more reliable and valuable.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
Elected officials and political hopefuls need to act now. Multicultural voters are not satisfied with the current state of politics and political leaders, and in order to motivate them to go to the voting booths, action plans must be made with a better future for all in mind.
Political actors can download the full August 2023 Diverse Political Tracker now to gain a core understanding of the political attitudes and behaviors of multicultural voters.
