Asian American Voter Survey

Asian Americans voted in record numbers in 2016, 2018 and again in 2020. This trend continued in 2021, and we foresee large turnout numbers moving forward . Through our bi-annual Asian American Voter Survey, conducted in partnership with AAPI Data and ahead of important election dates, we have our pulse on the issues that matter, and the messaging that appeals to Asian Americans..

The report reveals key elections issues that matter most to Asian American voters and individual ethnicities, whether they identify as Democrat, Republican or Independent, and what their voting preferences are.

This survey has become a key provider of insight for media, pollsters, corporations, and political campaigns, and fills a gap in the awareness and understanding about Asian American political views and attitudes, especially as a diverse coalition comprising different ethnicities, languages and cultural backgrounds.

Surveys like the Asian American Voter Survey is a public service resource and is only made possible through the financial support of donors like you. Help us communicate the voting impact of our communities. See a sample of media coverage on our survey data:

• How Asian Americans Are Thinking About The 2020 Election // Five Thirty Eight
• Asian-American voters prefer Biden to Trump, a new poll found. // New York Times
• Biden holds big lead over Trump with Asian American voters, survey says // Los Angeles Times
• Trump spent years trying to win over Indian Americans. Then Biden picked Harris. // POLITICO
• Asian American Voters Back Biden by Large Margin // Bloomberg (Election 2020)
• Asian Americans prefer Biden but many remain undecided: poll // The Hill
• Poll: Biden leads Trump among Asian Americans, many still undecided // Axios

Key Takeaways from the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey

• Over half (54%) of Asian American voters are more enthusiastic about the upcoming elections than previous elections.
• A majority (54%) report that they plan to vote by mail.
• About half of Asian American voters report little to no contact from either political party. This is in line with our previous surveys that show a need for further outreach from both political parties.
• 14% of voters identified as undecided and 34% as non-partisan. This shows that political parties have yet to harness the power of the Asian American vote despite the fact that many remain persuadable.
• Top concerns of the electorate are Jobs & the Economy, Health care, Education, Racial discrimination and Gun control and the majority of those surveyed leaned progressive on these issues.
• A majority of Asian Americans (54%) surveyed planned to vote for Biden compared to just 30% who planned to support Republican incumbent Donald Trump.
• Among Vietnamese registered voters, support is higher for Trump (48%) than Biden (36%). Indian Americans are the most inclined to vote for Biden among all Asian American groups (66%). At the same time, 14% of Asian American registered voters remained undecided about their presidential vote choice, with Chinese Americans (22%) exhibiting the highest proportion of voters who said they were “undecided.”