Discontent With Political Options, Latinos Are Increasingly Opting Out of Party Affiliation

New evidence continues to emerge of President Joe Biden's decreasing support among the Latino electorate as the 2024 elections get closer by the day: a poll by the Florida International University (FIU) showed that "while most Hispanics remain registered Democrats, support for the party is eroding."

Its Annual Hispanic Public Opinion Survey, released in December, showed that, however, Biden's lower support doesn't mean voters are leaving him for Trump. Many are actually opting out of party affiliation altogether, the study says, as neither of the candidates elicits strong enthusiasm.

A majority of the voters doesn't want Trump nor Biden on the ballot this year, with 57% saying so for the former president and 45% for the current one. "Democrats have always taken Hispanics for granted, and now it's problematic because this survey tells you that they can't continue to do that," said Eduardo Gamarra, director of the Latino Public Opinion Forum at FIU.

However, this poll, which surveyed 1,221 registered voters in the 22 states with the highest concentration of Latinos, shows a less-bleak picture for Biden than other recent studies. While two different polls have shown him to actually be trailing Trump among members of this demographic after historically being on the lead, the FIU survey still shows him on top.

"Support for Biden has eroded by 14%, from 67% in 2020 to 53% today. While also an unpopular choice, the survey results revealed that support for Trump has seen a rise from 29% in 2020 to 33% today," the poll says.

"The equal dissatisfaction for both leading presidential candidates has Hispanics opting out of party affiliation as they focus more on the candidate as an individual, choosing the candidate that best resembles their personal values and prioritizes their policy concerns," it adds.

A recent poll by UnidosUS backs that thesis, showing that inflation, the labor market and the economy are currently the biggest concerns for this demographic. Over half of the respondents stated that elected officials need to address the rising cost of living. They also mentioned being worried about being laid off and about unsafe working conditions.

And while immigration remains an important issue for Latinos, it is not as important as it once was. According to the survey, they support citizenship pathways for Dreamers and long-term immigrants; however, only 20% of respondents noted that immigration was their biggest concern.

The figure is sizably smaller than the 42% of registered Latino respondents from a 2014 Pew Research survey who noted that immigration was their biggest concern.

As mentioned, other polls show Trump getting more support from Latinos than Biden. a study conducted by USA TODAY/Suffolk University, showed Biden trailing Trump 39-34% with this demographic. The study highlights that in 2020 he had received 65% of the support, compared to Trump's 32%.

Moreover, a CNBC All-America Survey from late December had Trump with a 5-point lead over current Biden, the first time the former President was ahead in such a poll over his likely competitor in next year's elections. The same poll from two months before had Biden with a 7-point lead.

The survey added that Biden's performance with Latino voters is not just lagging relative to Trump — "it is trending downward overall." "In December 28% of Latino adults approved of Biden as president, down from 35% in October," says the study.