An election eve poll of nearly 5,000 Latino voters nationwide and in key 2014 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas) provides new insights into Latino voter behavior in the 2014 elections.

The poll shows:

Immigration the Top Issue Facing The Latino Community: National: A plurality of 45 percent of Latino voters nationwide said immigration reform was the most important issue facing the Latino community that politicians should address; 34 percent ranked the economy or job creation first, while 21 percent mentioned education/schools, and 17 percent said health care.

Latinos #1 Reason to Vote: To Support the Latino Community, Not Either Party: A plurality of Latino voters nationwide, 37 percent, said they were voting in 2014 to “support the Latino community,” while 34 percent said they were voting to support the Democratic candidate and 16 percent said they were voting to support the Republican candidate.

Two-Thirds of Latinos Say Immigration Was the Most/One-of the Most Important Issues In Voting Decisions: A combined two-thirds of Latino voters nationwide (67 percent) said that the issue of immigration was either the most important issue in their decision to vote and their candidate preference (33 percent said “the most”) or “one of the important issues” (34 percent). An additional 19 percent said immigration was “somewhat important” while only 9 percent said immigration was “not really important” to their voting decisions.

58 Percent of Latino Voters Nationwide Know an Undocumented Immigrant: Underscoring the personal relevance of the immigration debate for many respondents, 58 percent of Latino voters nationwide report knowing an undocumented immigrant, while 35 percent of Latino voters did not.

The poll was conducted by Latino Decisions. The original sponsors for the poll are America’s Voice, Latino Victory Project, and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and they have been joined by the following partners: AFL-CIO, Mi Familia Vota, NALEO Educational Fund and People For the American Way.

For more information go to www.latinovote2014.com

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