ACLU Launches First-of-its-Kind Infographics with New Voter Opinion Research
Data Upends Conventional Political Wisdom on Immigration and Public Safety
WASHINGTON – Today, the American Civil Liberties Union launched two new interactive infographics displaying the results of recent voter polling on immigration and public safety. The infographics allow users to obtain specific data from competitive battleground states for determining Senate and presidential elections, key congressional districts pivotal to deciding the outcome of the House, as well as voters nationally, on major questions related to both issues. The research shows voters want elected leaders to offer an affirmative, solutions-based vision for tackling the root causes of immigration and public safety, rather than fear-based rhetoric and policies that would lead to more arrests, incarceration, and punishment.
Notably, the data demonstrates that when candidates try to take a page out of the MAGA playbook to seem “tough” on crime and the border, they lose votes among key persuadable audiences, namely independents and undecided voters, regardless of which political party the candidate belongs to. The infographics feature data collected from the ACLU in partnership with Impact Research, Lake Research Partners, and YouGov, as well as from other leading organizations and research firms.
“When it comes to immigration and public safety – two major issues shaping the 2024 elections – you see candidates from both parties stoking fear and calling for increased punishment,” said Deirdre Schifeling, ACLU's chief political and advocacy officer. “Yet when you look at the data, it’s plain to see that voters actually want something much different. In the toughest battlegrounds and nationally, voters overwhelmingly want candidates to offer solutions that tackle the root causes of these issues. Real solutions trump fear and punishment every time.”
In March 2024, the ACLU surveyed voters in eight congressional battleground districts across five states: Arizona, California, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. In April and May, the organization then fielded YouGov surveys in battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania — as well as nationally. ACLU research, coupled with numerous recent surveys conducted by leading organizations like FWD.us, Vera Action, and the Immigration Hub, demonstrate that there is a clear gap between what voters want — solutions — and what candidates assume they want — toughness.
Key findings from the surveys include:
- 65 percent of voters across six congressional battleground districts agree that the country needs a balanced approach to immigration that both manages the border and provides a path to citizenship for long-term residents, over the idea that it’s either too dangerous or too costly to open up our country to immigrants.
- In some of the toughest Congressional districts across Arizona, California, New Jersey, and Ohio, 59 percent of voters don’t think we can arrest our way out of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. Instead, they believe investing in services that will treat the root causes of these problems, like affordable housing and job training, is a more effective solution than relying on punishment and incarceration.
“We invite users to scroll through the infographics and dig into the data – especially the head-to-head candidate matchups, which reveal fascinating findings,” added Schifeling. “What they’ll see is that when a candidate, regardless of whether it’s a Republican or Democrat, espouses a ‘tough’ narrative based in fear on either issue, they lose to a candidate offering a ‘solutions’ response. This research should encourage candidates across the political divide to offer real solutions over fear-based narratives and proposals that trample on civil liberties.”
The infographic featuring survey results on public safety is available here:
The infographic featuring survey results on immigration is available here:
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.