DENVER — The state of the economy, affordable housing and gun violence were among the top priorities for the second-largest and second fastest-growing ethnic voting bloc in the state, according to a nonpartisan poll of more than 1,000 registered Latino voters from across the state.
The 2023 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda (CLPA), which released its findings Wednesday, said economic concerns were among the highest priorities for Latino voters in their statewide survey of 1,600 people in the community from across Colorado. The survey was conduced in both English and Spanish.
The poll found that, at the state level, 40% of respondents identified “addressing the cost of living” as the top concern for the governor and state legislature to prioritize, followed by “improving wages and income” at 30%.
“Addressing affordable and sustainable housing” was ranked as a high priority with 19% of Latino voters identifying it as a top issue, as more than a third of respondents said they can't afford or can barely afford where they live.
Lowering health care costs and addressing gun violence follow closely behind, with gun violence and mass shootings remaining as the top-five priority for Latinos in Colorado.
An alarming 81% of respondents said they are concerned about the prospect of a mass shooting that targets the Latino/immigrant community, according to the report.
Supporting reproductive health care and abortion rights was also important for those surveyed, with 52% saying abortion bans and restrictions in other states make them more likely to vote in 2023.
Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, said the statewide poll provides a comprehensive overview of the policy preferences and attitudes of Latino voters throughout Colorado so that policymakers, community leaders and issue-advocates have a clear sense of the policy priorities identified by the Latino community.
"I think that's powerful. And this is the value that this data provides and the opportunity," said Sanchez.
The research initiative — the largest poll of Latino voters in the state — is co-led by the organizations Voces Unidas and Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), and is designed to provide insights into the demographic makeup and views of Latino voters in Colorado on pressing policy, political, and social issues.
