Indian-American voters show strong enthusiasm, lean democratic ahead of US midterms

Washington: Indian-American voters are showing strong enthusiasm for the US midterm elections and a clear preference for Democratic congressional candidates, according to a new national survey.

The 2026 Asian American Voter Survey found that 92 per cent of Indian-American registered voters planned to vote in November.

Seventy-four per cent said they were absolutely certain they would cast a ballot, while another 23 per cent were fairly certain.

Indian Americans also recorded the highest increase in enthusiasm among the major Asian ethnic groups surveyed.

Forty-three per cent said they were more enthusiastic than usual about voting. Twenty-two per cent were less enthusiastic, while 32 per cent reported about the same level of interest.

The community showed a strong preference for Democratic candidates in both Senate and House contests.

Sixty-six per cent of Indian-American voters supported Democratic Senate candidates, compared with 22 per cent who preferred Republicans. Seven per cent favoured another party.

Support for Democratic Senate candidates ranged from 42 per cent among Filipino voters to 66 per cent among Indian-American voters.

In House races, 66 per cent of Indian Americans backed Democratic candidates, compared with 18 per cent for Republicans and 9 per cent for another party.

Among Indian Americans expressing a House preference, 60 per cent said they strongly supported their chosen candidate.

The survey also found a largely negative view of President Donald Trump among Indian-American voters.

Seventy-four per cent viewed Trump unfavourably, including 56 per cent who held a very unfavourable opinion.

Twenty per cent viewed him favourably, including 7 per cent who held a very favourable opinion and 13 per cent who viewed him somewhat favourably.

Indian Americans were more likely than other major Asian-American groups to prefer casting their ballots in person.

Fifty-five per cent said they planned to vote at a polling place. Thirty-four per cent preferred voting by mail, while 8 per cent planned to use a ballot drop-off location.

Three-quarters of Indian-American respondents said they had discussed politics with family members or friends during the previous year.

Nineteen per cent had attended a protest, march, demonstration or rally, while 20 per cent had attended a local government meeting, including a city council or school board session.

The wider survey found that 90 per cent of registered Asian-American and Pacific Islander voters planned to participate in the midterms, up from 84 per cent in 2022 and 86 per cent in 2018.

Democrats led across the broader electorate surveyed. Sixty per cent supported Democratic Senate candidates, compared with 24 per cent for Republicans.

In House races, Democrats held a 64 per cent to 22 per cent advantage.

Cost of living and inflation emerged as the dominant issue. Ninety per cent of Asian-American voters said it was very or extremely important in determining their vote.

The survey covered 2,066 registered voters, including 1,896 Asian Americans and 170 Pacific Islanders. The overall Indian-American subgroup included 242 respondents. The Senate preference finding was based on 148 Indian-American respondents.

Interviews were conducted by telephone, web and online recruitment between June 3 and July 27. The survey used sampling quotas by ethnicity and weighting based on voter characteristics.

US midterm elections are held halfway through a president’s four-year term. All 435 House seats and about one-third of the Senate are contested, making the vote an important test of support for the governing party.

The survey was conducted by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote and AAPI Data. The groups estimate that 16 million Asian-American and Pacific Islander citizens are eligible to vote in 2026, including 1.6 million who became eligible after 2022.

IANS