Local demographics in LA County show that more than 11% of all LA County voters, more than 639,000 voters, identified as AAPI. AAPI Equity, a coalition of community organizations based in LA, attributed the potential for this group of voters to sway future elections.
“In Los Angeles and elsewhere in the county and in the country, we know that the stakes are high and that we can make a difference when we turn out and where we turn out,” managing director of policy and counsel for AAPI Equity Candice Cho said. “… That is the margin of victory.”
Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote, shared preliminary voter turnout data from Georgia, citing an increase of 20.4% in AAPI early voter turnout from 2018 to 2022. Voter engagement efforts, from translating mail to canvassing to phone banking, were to thank for, according to Chen.
“Our communities, when reached out to, really show up. And I think that voting matters, but also making sure that the information that our communities get is accurate and clear is important,” executive director for CAUSE Nancy Yap said.
However, the participating leaders acknowledged the challenges in AAPI voter outreach, given the diversity of languages and ethnicities within the community.
“AAPIs are not a monolith,” executive director of AAPI Equity Manjusha Kulkarni said.
