New Survey Underscores Need to Engage the Rising American Electorate on Issues They Care About
December 19th, 2011
A new poll from The Voter Participation Center’s sister organization – the Women’s Voices Women’s Vote Action Fund (WVWVAF) and Democracy Corps shows incumbents in 60 Republican-held districts badly out of touch with the Rising American Electorate (RAE). These voters—unmarried women, African Americans and Hispanics voters and youth—account for a majority of the nation’s voting eligible population (53 percent). They drove progressive victories in 2006 and 2008, but underperformed in 2010 – making up only 42 percent of the electorate. Right now the RAE is less likely to believe the 2012 election is important and less likely to be engaged than others in the electorate.
According to the survey, the current political conversation is keeping the RAE on the sidelines. The RAE believes Republicans are out-of-touch on taxes and the deficit. The majority of voters would also prefer the Republicans to cooperate more with the Obama Administration rather than block or delay action. But their dissatisfaction extends beyond any one party to the entire political system.
They are not hearing what they want to hear from politicians – they want to hear about jobs, health care and education, not about taxes, the deficit and the size of government. As the Democracy Corps survey shows, there is an opportunity to re-engage and increase the participation of these traditionally under-represented voters – if the discussion is about the kitchen table issues that touch and could improve their lives. This failure to connect kept the RAE home in droves in 2010 – and all the warning signs are out again as we enter 2012.