Puerto Ricans in the US Are Ready To Vote in the Presidential Election, Poll Says

Most of the Boricuas surveyed disapprove of how Trump responded to the pandemic.

Both presidential candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, have specifically targeted Puerto Rican voters during the most recent weeks of their campaigns. 

Puerto Ricans make up the largest group of minority voters in Florida, the largest swing state in the nation. 

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In order to know more about the voting behavior of Puerto Ricans, the Center for American Progress Action Fund in partnership with public opinion firm Latino Decisions conducted a poll that aimed to “assess Puerto Ricans’ views on specific issues facing the country at large, including their opinions about the most important priorities for the upcoming election,” Latino Decisions explained.

To conduct the survey, the firm’s personnel made phone calls to 1,000 Puerto Ricans—and people of Puerto Rican descent—living in the United States, from Sept. 4 to 11. Those polled included 200 participants from Pennsylvania, another state with a large population from the island.

Among the findings, 90% of Puerto Ricans report being currently registered to vote in their place of residence. The remaining 10% said they are not registered to vote.

Within every age, gender, and educational group, 70% say they will definitely vote in the upcoming elections.

Of the Puerto Ricans born on the island, four out of 10 said registering and voting in the continental United States is easier than it is in their homeland. Only 13% said it is more difficult to register stateside.

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The poll revealed that four out of 10 Puerto Ricans are not familiar with the mail-in voting process in their state and that they are basically split on whether they will vote by mail or in-person.

Regarding voting in person, 42% of Puerto Ricans polled said they were “very concerned” about being exposed to COVID-19 this November. Another 32% were “somewhat concerned.”

The polls also highlighted that 49% of its participants “strongly disapprove” of the way Trump is handling the coronavirus pandemic. A fifth of those polled “somewhat disapprove” of his actions in fighting the virus. Only 13% “strongly approve” of his handling of the pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has the highest credibility rating regarding health information, with a trust rating of 6.4 on a scale from zero to 10.

On the topic of the pandemic, a third of Puerto Ricans, or a member of their households, have lost their jobs. Another 42% of households have faced a reduction in work hours or pay cuts. 

The survey indicates job losses are higher than average among Puerto Rican women, at 36% percent. The job loss rate of people ages 18–34 is 44%. Those with some college education face an unemployment rate of 39%.