New Telemundo/BuzzFeed News Poll Says 60% of Young Latino Voters Would Vote for Biden

Aug 5, 2020
3:55 PM

In this March 10, 2020 file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to members of the press at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A poll of young Latino voters released Wednesday by Telemundo and BuzzFeed News said that 60% of Latinos between 18 and 34 years old would choose Joe Biden in the presidential election and that 19% would choose President Donald Trump.

That finding is one of many that provide a look into one of of the country’s fastest-growing electorates. The online poll, which surveyed 1,323 registered voters (638 Latinos, 685 non-Latinos), was conducted between June 5 and June 22. According to the poll, 34% of respondents were between 18 and 24 years old, with 64% between 25 and 34 years old.

The 60% young Latino support for Biden was less than the 75% young Black support and 72% young Asian American support. The poll also said that 48% of young white voters would vote for Biden, with 40% choosing Trump. The President got 16% of young Asian American support and 12% of young Black support—two figures lower than the 19% young Latino support.

In addition, the 60% young Latino voter support for Biden in this poll is lower than overall Latino support for Hilary Clinton in 2016 (66%). It is also lower than the overall Latino support for Barack Obama in 2008 (67%) and 2012 (71%). The country’s Latino vote skews younger than the overall national vote.

Trump’s 19% support of young Latinos is lower than the 28% of overall Latino support that national exit polls shared in 2016.

A BuzzFeed News story about the poll also stated the following: “Biden and Trump are separated by just 1% when the voters were asked who is likely to win the presidential election—53% of voters said they believe Biden will win and 52% said that they think Trump will be reelected. A large majority —73%— of young Latino Biden supporters said they believed that Trump supporters would cheat to win the election, while 51% of Trump supporters said Biden supporters would cheat to win the election.”

The poll also asked respondents how they lean politically. While 50% of young Latinos said they identified as Democrats, 30% said they were either unsure or identified as Independent. Only 13% of young Latinos identified as Republican. The 50% Democrat figure was lower than both young Black voters and young Asian American voters (66%). As for young white voters, 39% identified as Democrats, 28% identified as Republican and 26% said they were either unsure or identified as Independent.

Finally, respondents were also asked what politicians have “shown up” for Latinos. The top answer was “Nobody” with 33%, followed by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Bernie Sanders and Biden, who all got 6%. Trump got 3%.

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Julio Ricardo Varela is founder and publisher of Latino Rebels, part of Futuro Media. He tweets from @julito77.