AAPI Vote 2018: Asian Americans could play key role in North Carolina election

NCAAT

North Carolina AAPI voters may influence outcomes in the Nov. 6 elections.

ASAM NEWS

ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS in North Carolina could make the difference in several key Congressional and state races, according to a new report from North Carolina Asian Americans Together.

The report found that Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority in the state, with the AAPI population growing 144 percent from 2000-2016. There are more than 89,000 Asian American voters in the state. Facing South reports that number has doubled in the last decade.

Those voters are concentrated in four counties-Wake (79,162), Mecklenburg (61,859), Guilford (27,306) and Durham (14,634) where they are in position to swing the election.

According to Facing South, there are three tight U.S. House Races in 2018 and a dozen close state races, as well as six proposed amendments to the state constitution. 52 percent of Asian American voters in the state are independent or unaffiliated.

“Asian American communities are a growing force in North Carolina,” Chavi Khanna Koneru, executive director of NCAAT, said to Facing South. “At a time when issues affecting immigrants and communities of color are in the national spotlight, it’s more important than ever to educate and motivate our families, friends and neighbors.”

Voter enthusiasm is said to be high among Asian Americans. A national survey from AAPI Data found 48 percent of Asian American voters polled say they are enthusiastic about voting this year versus 28 percent in 2014. NCAAT hopes this will help overcome the low voter turnout among Asian Americans in North Carolina. 56.5% of AAPI voters cast a vote in 2016 versus 69% statewide.

Almost one in three voting-eligible AAPIs in North Carolina are young adults between the ages of 18 and 29. They are even more independent, with 55.8% being unaffiliated. An APIAVote analysis from the 2014 election shows that although they are least likely to receive voter contact, AAPI young adult voters display greater voter enthusiasm than other age groups and are more likely to turn out to vote.

Key findings include:

• In a state where major elections have been decided by just tens of thousands of votes, eligible Asian American voters now number 103,000. 
   
• Asian American registered voters have largely opted out of the partisan divide, with 51 percent of them unaffiliated with any political party.
   
• Asian American voters are concentrated in the state's major metro areas, where they could play a key role in close races.
   
• The Asian American voting bloc is extremely diverse, with over 20 nationalities and ethnicities and over 40 languages represented.
   
• A range of issues concern Asian American voters from jobs, education and health care to immigration, racism and police accountability.
   
• HB 589, North Carolina's restrictive 2013 voting law, could have disproportionately affected Asian American voters around measures like same-day voter registration and voter ID if a court hadn't blocked enforcement of the law for the 2016 general election.

"A Growing Voice" was produced jointly by the Institute for Southern Studies, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, the Southeast Asian Coalition and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, with contributions from Democracy North Carolina.

Read the full report at www.ncasian.org. 

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