FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2026
Contact: press@apiavote.org
Washington, DC – Today, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPI Data released findings from the 2026 AAPI Voter Survey (AAVS), the longest-running survey of Asian American voters.
Since 2012, the multilingual survey has tracked the attitudes, priorities and voting behavior of Asian American voters and provided critical insights into one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. electorate. The 2026 survey also provides new insights into the attitudes and experiences of Pacific Islander (PI) voters.
Among the topline findings:
- 90% of AAPI registered voters say they plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, up from 84% in 2022 and 86% in 2018. Seventy-one percent say they are absolutely certain they will vote.
- Cost of living and inflation are the dominant concerns, with 90% of Asian Americans and 89% of Pacific Islanders saying it is very or extremely important in deciding how they vote.
- Democratic candidates currently lead in congressional vote choice, and Democrats hold an advantage on voters’ top issue: 63% select the Democratic candidate for U.S. House compared with 24% Republican. On voters’ top issue, cost of living and inflation, 44% trust Democrats to do a better job compared with 18% who trust Republicans.
- Many AAPI voters remain unreached: 42% report no contact from the Democratic Party and 58% no contact from the Republican Party. Community organizations reach approximately as many AAPI adults as the Democratic Party, with 58% reporting some contact from each.
- Family and friends (62%) and academic experts (60%) are the most trusted messengers, followed by community journalists (50%) and AAPI community-serving organizations (47%). Pacific Islander adults report particularly high trust in AAPI community-serving organizations (59% vs. 45% of Asian Americans).
“For the last 14 years, APIAVote and our local partners have organized and mobilized AAPI communities across the country, helping drive continued increases in voter participation election after election. This year we are seeing even more voters planning to cast their ballots for the midterms,” said Christine Chen, Founder and Executive Director of APIAVote. “Together, we are committed to keeping that momentum going by reaching voters with trusted, in-language information and making sure they can safely and properly cast their ballots and have their votes counted.”
“With Asian Americans being the fastest-growing electorate in the country, it’s crucial that we have the latest data on what motivates them to turn out and vote,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, Founder and Executive Director of AAPI Data. “Our data show that many AAPI voters still haven’t been contacted by either party, signaling that there is tremendous electoral potential waiting to be activated.”
The 2026 AAPI Voter Survey examines AAPI voters’ attitudes, priorities, voting plans and civic engagement heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Visit 2026 AAPI Voter Survey – AAPI Data for information about the survey.
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About APIAVote: Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is the nation’s leading nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities to strengthen and sustain a culture of civic engagement. See our website for more information at https://www.apiavote.org/
About AAPI Data
AAPI Data is a national research and policy organization producing accurate data to support community narratives that drive action toward enduring solutions for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. Learn more at aapidata.com.