Polling AAPI Voters

Abstract

Exit polls are surveys of voters once they cast their ballot. However, they are often unreliable sources of information on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters. Several community organizations like the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) in Los Angeles attempts to provide a more accurate exit polling results about AAPI. The methodologies used to conduct the exit poll are noted. To properly conduct polling, it requires tremendous amount of resources such as time, funding, and staff, and is also a very difficult activity to do for a long period of time. Problems outside of the pollsters such as low voter turn out negatively affects the effectiveness of polling. The absentee ballot also renders polling as not wholly accurate since many AAPI due to their voting this way. However polling has plenty of merits as it helps document AAPI voting behavior which can be used for program planning and voting right litigation. Exit poll results are useful in targeting voter education plans. Pollsters are helping depict the emerging AAPI electorate and will also help protect its right to vote.