New Poll Highlights Economic Security as Topmost Priority for Nevada’s Women of Color Voters Heading into Final Days Ahead of Midterm Election

Affording basic needs is top of mind and has been difficult for many Nevadans throughout most of the pandemic and during this period of inflation and rising costs

CARSON CITY (November 3, 2022) – Nevada’s working families continue to keep the state’s economy going despite the devastation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn it triggered. Keeping up with the soaring costs of housing, food, utilities and other household expenses has been challenging for many Nevadans the last few years, and in the final days ahead of the midterm election, a new poll shows women of color voters place economic security as their topmost motivating issue. 

Women of color voters are poised to play a key role in deciding midterm election results across the country, but especially in Nevada.

“Asian American Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women kept Nevada open during the pandemic, particularly in the hospitality and healthcare industries,” remarked Amy Koo, Assistant Director of Outreach at the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC). “For too long, AANHPI women have been excluded from conversations about policy that directly impacts them and their families. This new report shows the myriad issues women of color are considering this November. We owe it to Nevada’s women and communities of color to create a prosperous future for them and future generations.”

“It’s not surprising that women of color are extremely concerned with meeting the basic needs of their families. Women of color, especially Black women, are consistently struggling to survive through difficult times,” said Erika Washington, Executive Director of Make It Work Nevada Education Fund. “Our issues are multi-pronged and won’t be solved with one-size-fits-all policies. This polling just proves that we need a better infrastructure, a stronger foundation, and more engagement by elected leaders so all people can thrive no matter their education or where they reside.”

“Women of color, including Latinas, have been doing their part to help bring Nevada back,” said Cecia Alvarado, Nevada Executive Director for Somos Votantes. “As we head into the final stretch of the midterm elections, these poll results offer a snapshot of what is unsurprisingly top of mind for women of color voters across our state. Their hard work and determination helped keep our economy going through the pandemic and is now driving our recovery. Nevada’s women of color clearly want more economic opportunities to build a better life for themselves, their families, and their small businesses, not less.”

“The results of these polls are clear: Nevadans are determined to build back better following the COVID-19 pandemic and if politicians want to earn the support of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AANHPI), Latina, and Black women voters, they must pledge to be a partner in those rebuilding efforts,” said Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. “Women of color voters are not willing to negotiate for their lives, and will only give their vote to those candidates who will deliver on the promise of charting a pandemic recovery that centers the needs of women.”

The issues mobilizing Nevada’s women of color voters are fundamental to everyone’s ability to live, work, and thrive at their fullest potential – economic security, reproductive freedom, and access to quality health care. Topline findings from the report include:

  • Reproductive Freedom: Seventy-two percent of women of color voters said that elected officials should ensure that everyone has the freedom to choose, if, when, and how to start a family. Seventy-three of women of color voters said they believe elected officials should ensure access to safe and supportive pregnancy-related services and other supports, and sixty-four percent of white voters said they believe the same. 
  • Economic Justice: Nearly nine in ten (88%) of women of color voters said creating better jobs and wages for all is important compared to seven in ten (70%) white voters.
  • Dignity in Schools: Black women voters reported agreeing (81 percent) or strongly agreeing (57 percent) with policies that enable all students to learn in environments that allow them to be who they are and that are free from harassment, discrimination, and violence. 
  • Workplace Justice: Women of color voters strongly support enacting protections against harassment and discrimination. Nearly nine in 10 women of color voters (85 percent) rated expanding protections to ensure all people can live free from harassment and discrimination as important. 

Access the full report here. This survey report details some of the issues and key policies that are motivating likely voters, especially women of color in Nevada. Additional information about the survey’s methodology follows this release.

Make it Work Nevada Education Fund, Asian Community Development Council, Somos Votantes and National Women’s Law Center spokespeople are available to discuss the poll’s findings. 

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The Asian Community Development Council

The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to building, connecting, and educating the Asian and Pacific Islander community in Nevada. ACDC was officially chartered in 2015 in Las Vegas and opened their Reno location in 2022. Among the services ACDC offers includes: voter education, health insurance enrollment assistance, citizenship application assistance, vaccination clinics (Influenza and COVID-19), culturally-sensitive food distribution, College Readiness Bootcamp, GraduAsian, Asian Night Market, and the Run for Rice and Walk for Wellness 5k. ACDC is opening the Healthy Asians & Pacific Islanders (HAPI) Medical Center this summer. 

Make It Work Nevada Education Fund

Make It Work Nevada Education Fund (MIWNEF) is a policy-driven organization that is shifting the landscape of our community through advocacy and education to support the long-term health and vitality of Black families. We are fighting to ensure that Black families have the autonomy they need over their bodies and the resources (proper schools, grocery stores, recreation, etc) to raise their children to have whole, full lives. 

Somos Votantes

At Somos Votantes we aim to empower Latino voters to create an impact by equipping them with the knowledge to participate in our nation’s democracy and voicing their invaluable perspectives at the ballot.

National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice–in the courts, in public policy, and in our society–working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. For 50 years, we have used the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us—especially women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families.

Survey Methodology 

These findings are part of additional data collection across key states. In collaboration with state-based partners, the National Women’s Law Center commissioned an online survey to assess the policy needs of women of color voters in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia. In Nevada, the National Women’s Law Center collaborated with Make It Work Nevada, the Asian Community Development Council, and Somos Votantes to commission this poll. In order to draw a more dynamic picture in the state of Nevada, the survey encompassed a total of 509 online interviews: 306 among women of color voters representing Latina, Black, and AAPI women and 203 among white voters (100 women and 103 men). The survey also included a readable sample of lower-income voters (under $60,000). Respondents were specifically targeted as likely to vote in the November 2022 midterm election (6 or more on a 10-point scale) and represent a diverse spread across political ideologies.