Latino voters backing Obama ahead of debate, new poll reveals
U.S. President Barack Obama waves to supporters during a campaign on the campus of St. Petersburg College September 8, 2012 in St Petersburg, Florida.
Latino voters overwhelmingly support President Barack Obama, new poll figures show, they just aren’t overly excited about the November 6 presidential election.
According to the CNN/ORC International figures released today, 70 percent of likely Latino voters will mark a ballot for Obama.
That compares to 26 percent support for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Latino support for the Democrats is roughly where it was four years ago when 67 percent voted for Obama over the GOP’s John McCain.
As for general enthusiasm for the election, the poll revealed 49 percent of voters said they were “extremely” or “very” enthusiastic.
That compares to a survey of non-white Latino voters polled in September, CNN said.
In that poll, 41 percent of voters classified themselves as “extremely” enthusiastic.
As for the issues, the economy ranked higher than immigration, today’s figures show.
Obama’s lead remains strong with women voters, another poll suggests, just not as convincing.
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The Quinnipiac University poll released today shows 56 percent of women voters back Obama compared to 38 for Romney.
The new numbers come as Romney attempts to gain favor with immigrant voters.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Romney said if elected he would allow illegal immigrants who arrived in the US as children to stay in the country.
It was in reaction to an order Obama signed in June protecting hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.
“The people who have received the special visa that the president has put in place, which is a two-year visa, should expect that the visa would continue to be valid. I’m not going to take something that they’ve purchased,” Romney said in the Post.
Obama and Romney are to debate face-to-face for the first time on Wednesday in Denver.
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