The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) Foundation and HIT Strategies released the first results of a national survey of voters of color, including LGBTQ voters of color, to determine sentiment regarding voting by mail.
Conducted in partnership with major advocacy organizationsincluding Latino Victory Foundation, the NAACP, UnidosUS and Woke Votethis survey shows key commonalities as well as critical differences in how voters from different communities view the current voting climate.
Key takeaways from the research include:
Seventy-six percent of POC ( people of color ) voters think the coronavirus crisis will affect who votes in the 2020 election, and 73% of POC voters think the protests following the death of George Floyd will affect who votes in the 2020 election.
Sixty-eight percent of POC voters will either vote in person early or by mail, including 59% of APPI voters stating that voting by mail is their current voting preference.
Seventy-five percent of POC voters, including 76% of Black voters and 79% of POC LGBTQ voters, are more likely to vote by mail in November if we still don't have a cure or vaccine for coronavirus.
Eighty percent of POC voters, including 84% of Black voters and 80% of LGBTQ POC voters, favor allowing all voters the option of vote by mail or absentee ballot in this year's election.
In terms of voters' feelings about the November election, the highest rated feeling was hopeful, at 34% of those surveyed.
The initial survey included a sample of over 800 individuals from across the country, including Florida, Wisconsin, Texas and Georgia. This research is still ongoing, and results will continue to be released through November.
See assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Vote_By_Mail_Among_Traditionally_Marginalized_Voters__National_Online_Survey_July_2020_.pdf .