Filipino voters express preference for Republican candidates (49%) over Democrats (42%): AAPI survey

Along with the growing presence of Asian American voters is a growing interest in the opinions and priorities of this electorate. The Asian American Voter Surveys (AAVS) are election-year surveys of registered AAPI voters, capturing the perspectives of voters and their priorities across various years. Here are the key findings:

• 90% of AAPI registered voters say they plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, up from 84% in 2022 and 86% in 2018. Seventy-one percent say they are absolutely certain they will vote.
• Cost of living and inflation are the dominant concerns, with 90% of Asian Americans and 89% of Pacific Islanders saying it is very or extremely important in deciding how they vote.
• Democratic candidates currently lead in congressional vote choice, and Democrats hold an advantage on voters’ top issue: 63% select the Democratic candidate for U.S. House compared with 24% Republican. On voters’ top issue, cost of living and inflation, 44% trust Democrats to do a better job compared with 18% who trust Republicans. 
• Many AAPI voters remain unreached: 42% report no contact from the Democratic Party and 58% no contact from the Republican Party. Community organizations reach approximately as many AAPI adults as the Democratic Party, with 58% reporting some contact from each.
• Family and friends (62%) and academic experts (60%) are the most trusted messengers, followed by community journalists (50%) and AAPI community-serving organizations (47%). PI adults report particularly high trust in AAPI community-serving organizations (59% vs. 45% of Asian Americans).

Voting Plans

• 90% of AAPI registered voters (91% Asian Am and 87% Pacific Islanders) say they plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, up from 84% in 2022 and 86% in 2018, the two previous midterm election years. 
• 71% are absolutely certain they will vote, while another 23% are fairly certain.
• Certainty varies 20 points by ethnicity: Japanese 80% and Filipino 78% highest, Korean and Vietnamese 60% lowest
• Voting preferences remain divided between in-person and alternative methods: 45% prefer voting in person, 34% by mail, and 15% by ballot drop-off. Combined, 49% prefer mail or drop-off, essentially unchanged from 50% in 2022.

Vote Choice

• AAPI voters favor Democratic candidates by more than 2-to-1 in the 2026 congressional elections: 60% Democratic vs. 24% Republican for U.S. Senate, and 64% Democratic vs. 22% Republican for U.S. House.
• The Democratic advantage extends across most Asian American ethnic groups, with the gaps strongest among Japanese Americans and weakest among Filipinos. 
• In Senate races, support for Democratic candidates ranges from 42% among Filipino voters to 66% among Asian Indian voters; Filipino voters are the only group in which Republican preference (49%) exceeds Democratic preference (42%).
• Independent voters remain a potentially important constituency: among independents, 54% prefer the Democratic Senate candidate vs. 18% Republican, while 51% prefer the Democratic House candidate vs. 20% Republican.

Policy Priorities

• Cost of living and inflation is the top issue for Asian American voters, with 90% saying it is very or extremely important, including 59% who say it is extremely important.
• Health care is a top concern for 82% of Asian American voters, followed closely by jobs and unemployment at 80% and Social Security and Medicare at 80%.
• Education is very or extremely important to 79% of Asian American voters, followed by crime and public safety (78%), war and foreign policy (78%), racism and racial discrimination/hate crimes (73%), immigration (68%), and abortion/reproductive rights (61%). — — aapidata.com/surveys/2026-aapi-voter-survey