In a first of its kind poll of South Asian voters in the key battleground states of America, which will play an important role in deciding the winner in the Presidential election next month; US Vice-President Kamala Harris is seen to have a commanding lead over Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump. The survey was commissioned by the Indian American Impact Fund, a political organisation representing Indian and South Asian American communities, and conducted by public opinion research and political strategy firm GBAO, among 600 South Asian likely general election voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania last month.It included a large percentage of Indian Americans.
The South Asian electorate, which could be the deciding factor in the swing states, is highly motivated to support Harris, who they see as aligned with their top priorities in this election, the survey found. “The results of this first-of-its-kind South Asian battleground poll demonstrated that Harris is more popular among our communities and leads Trump by a significant margin. The South Asian population in the battleground states is large and voters are likely to be the deciding factor in who wins the Presidential election next month. Members of our community trust Vice-President Harris and are energised by her,” Chintan Patel, executive director Indian American Impact Fund, told the Times of India.
He added that while Indian Americans felt a deep sense of pride about being represented at the highest office in America by a woman of Indian heritage, who looks like them; they also support Harris on various policy issues.
Besides Harris leading Trump by a wide 48-point margin among South Asian battleground voters, other key findings of the survey included Harris voters holding a motivation advantage over Trump supporters and inflation, the economy and abortion being top of mind issues for South Asians in the US Presidential election.
South Asian voters, who were surveyed, overwhelmingly supported abortion. The survey found that Harris is trusted more than Trump on a wide range of issues including the economy, taxes, and crime, signalling a confidence in Harris’ approach and policies.
Indian American Impact is now continuing with its targeted outreach to the South Asian community following the survey, in the last weeks before the Presidential election. “It will be crucial for Harris to secure battleground states and make history as the first South Asian American president. We are ramping up our efforts in the next weeks to campaign among the 400,000 plus eligible South Asian voters in key states. Our community can swing this election,” Patel said. The organisation is working to mobilise resources with door-to-door campaigns, phone and text banking. “Some of the Indian American elected officials have also joined us for events to help galvanise and motivate voters from the community on the ground,” Patel added.
The Impact Fund has also tied up with Future Forward (FF PAC), a US Presidential Super Political Action Committee, to launch a $3.5 million advertising campaign to reach South Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters in support of Harris. This represents the largest independent expenditure programme ever focused on AAPI voters for a presidential candidate, according to Impact Fund.
The campaign will spotlight key priorities important to South Asian communities, such as the economy, abortion rights, and supporting caregivers, while also highlighting how Harris’s South Asian heritage and background inform those values. The ads will be featured across multiple platforms, including TV, digital and radio channels to reach 1.3 million eligible AAPI voters, including 400,000 South Asian voters, in the critical battleground states.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented moment for South Asian and Asian Americans in US politics,” Patel said. “This partnership with Future Forward represents a historic investment in ensuring South Asian and AAPI voices are heard at the ballot box, and with Kamala Harris leading the charge, we have a unique opportunity to make history.”