Half of Latino electorate in Nevada says it hasn't been contacted by a campaign or political party

This week, a TelevisaUnivision poll conducted in nine so-called battleground states revealed that almost 7 in 10 Latino voters ranked debates as the most influential way to help them decide how to vote, outranking everything from candidate interviews to political programs, online publications and even party loyalty.

One of the states polled is Nevada, where FiveThirtyEight projects a dead tie between both candidates. Nevertheless, as Trump announced on Thursday that another debate is out of the question, both parties will have to find new ways to engage Nevada Latino voters as the November elections fast approach.

An opportunity, however, may lie in good-old-fashioned personal outreach, especially since a poll by UnidosUS recently revealed that more than half of registered Latino voters in Nevada have not been contacted by any political party or campaign as of late August.

The findings, part of UnidosUS's 2024 Pre-Election Poll, highlight that 53% of respondents in Nevada had not been approached by campaigns, a figure consistent with results across other states, where 55% of Latino voters reported no contact.

The poll showed that Latino "Nevada voters are fully engaged" and have "very strong opinions about the policies both parties embrace," said Rafael Collazo, the director of Political Affairs with UnidosUS to Nevada Current. "Despite the track record of engagement, it's sad the report lays out that nearly half of Latino voters still haven't been contacted by local campaigns," added Collazo.

In response to the poll, Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Claudia Alvarado stated that the party is ramping up its outreach efforts, hiring diverse staff and hosting events in Latino communities. She reiterated the party's commitment to earning every vote and maintaining a year-round presence within these communities.

Not to be outdone, Trump will be traveling to Nevada on Friday, where his campaign says he will focus on delivering a message on the economy -- a key issue in this election, with US inflation slowing but still higher than most consumers are used to.

Overall the poll revealed that 56% of Nevada Latino voters would support Vice President Harris over former President Donald Trump, and 55% would back Senator Jacky Rosen over her Republican opponent, Sam Brown. According to Nevada Current, those advantages are slightly smaller than those enjoyed by Democrats in recent campaign cycles such as 2020, when exit polls indicate Joe Biden garnered 61% of Nevada Latino voters in his victory over Trump.