NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Indian-American voters are attracting growing political attention ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with much of the conversation centered on which party they support. But what issues will actually matter when they cast their ballots?
A closer look at the Indian-American numbers in the 2026 AAPI Voter Survey provides some answers — and a revealing picture of an electorate that appears highly motivated to participate.
An overwhelming 92% of Indian-American respondents said they plan to vote in November.
The survey, released by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPI Data, included 242 respondents categorized as “Asian Indian,” offering a rare disaggregated look at the political priorities and attitudes of Indian-American registered voters.
And what matters most to them? Cost of living and inflation leads the list, with 83% describing it as very or extremely important in deciding how to vote. Health care follows closely at 82%, while 80% cite Social Security and Medicare.
War and foreign policy and crime and public safety are each considered very or extremely important by 79%, followed by jobs and unemployment at 76%, education at 75% and the environment and climate change at 74%.
The survey, released by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPI Data, included 242 respondents categorized as “Asian Indian,” offering a closer look at the political priorities and attitudes of Indian-American registered voters ahead of the midterms.
At the top of their concerns is cost of living and inflation, which 83% described as very or extremely important in deciding how to vote. Health care followed at 82%, while 80% cited Social Security and Medicare.
War and foreign policy and crime and public safety were each considered very or extremely important by 79%, followed by jobs and unemployment at 76%, education at 75% and the environment and climate change at 74%.
Racism, racial discrimination and hate crimes registered at 70%, while 68% cited gun control.
Perhaps more notable is where immigration — an issue that frequently dominates political conversations involving Indian Americans — falls on the list.
Sixty-four percent considered immigration very or extremely important, placing it 11th among the 12 issues tested. Only abortion and reproductive rights, at 55%, ranked lower.
That does not mean immigration is unimportant to Indian-American voters; nearly two-thirds still gave it a high level of importance. But the numbers suggest a much broader set of concerns centered heavily on household finances, health care, retirement security and safety.
Indian-American Voters Are Highly Motivated to Turn Out
If the issues reveal what is on Indian-American voters’ minds, another finding shows just how determined they are to make their voices heard.
An overwhelming 92% of Indian-American respondents said they planned to vote in the November 2026 elections, while just 6% said they did not plan to vote.
And this was not merely a vague intention. Among those planning to vote, 74% said they were “absolutely certain” they would cast a ballot, while another 23% said they were fairly certain.
The numbers point to an Indian-American electorate that is not only paying attention to the issues but appears highly motivated to participate in a midterm election.
Asked how they expected to vote, 55% said they preferred to cast their ballot in person at a polling place, while 34% preferred voting by mail and 8% said they would use a ballot drop-off location.
Affordability Hits Home
The concern over living costs becomes even clearer when respondents were asked which expenses they found most difficult to afford.
Two-thirds — 66% — selected health care. Half cited housing or rent, while 44% pointed to food and groceries. Education was identified by 25%, childcare by 20% and caring for elders by 18%.
The findings complicate the common perception of Indian Americans as a uniformly affluent immigrant community. At least among the registered voters surveyed, concerns about the cost of basic necessities are widespread.
Strong Democratic Advantage
Against that backdrop, Indian-American respondents showed a pronounced preference for Democratic candidates.
Asked how they would vote if the election for the U.S. House of Representatives were held today, 66% chose the Democratic candidate, compared with 18% who chose the Republican candidate. Another 9% selected another candidate.
Among the smaller group asked about a U.S. Senate race, 66% favored the Democratic candidate and 22% the Republican.
Yet the survey suggests that support for Democrats does not necessarily translate into confidence in the party on every issue.
On their No. 1 concern — cost of living and inflation — 45% said Democrats would do a better job, compared with 16% who chose Republicans. But a substantial 35% said there was no difference between the two parties on the issue.
The Democratic advantage was considerably wider on health care, where 56% trusted Democrats to do a better job, compared with 13% who chose Republicans.
On immigration, 49% said Democrats would do a better job and 22% chose Republicans, while 27% saw no difference. On crime and public safety, Democrats led Republicans 44% to 21%, with 32% saying there was no difference.
Trump Remains Deeply Unpopular
President Donald Trump received particularly negative ratings from Indian-American respondents.
Seventy-four percent viewed Trump unfavorably, including 56% who had a very unfavorable impression of him. Just 20% viewed him favorably.
Republicans in Congress also faced negative ratings. Sixty-three percent viewed them unfavorably, compared with 25% favorably.
Democrats in Congress fared considerably better, although their numbers were hardly overwhelming: 53% viewed congressional Democrats favorably and 39% unfavorably.
The findings suggest that the Democratic advantage among Indian-American voters is accompanied by significant opposition to Trump, but not necessarily by unqualified enthusiasm for Democrats.
Immigration Enforcement Draws Scrutiny
Immigration may rank below most other issues in determining the vote, but the survey found strong opinions when Indian Americans were asked specifically about immigration enforcement.
Eighty percent agreed that immigration enforcement agents should be required to wear body cameras, including 63% who strongly agreed.
Another 63% agreed that Congress should drastically reduce funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while 14% disagreed.
The issue also surfaced when respondents were asked about threats to safety in their communities.
Gun violence was selected by 56%, but 52% cited unfair treatment by law enforcement and 48% cited unfair treatment by immigration enforcement. Violent crime was selected by 43%, while burglaries and robberies were cited by 35%.
The results suggest that Indian-American voters’ concept of public safety encompasses concerns about crime as well as interactions with law enforcement and immigration authorities.
Politics Is Also Taking a Toll
High voter motivation does not necessarily mean voters are enthusiastic about the state of politics.
Sixty-six percent of Indian-American respondents said politics made them feel exhausted always or often, while 51% said it made them feel angry.
By comparison, 41% said politics made them feel hopeful always or often, while only 29% said it made them feel excited with that frequency.
The combination is notable: voters report considerable political fatigue, yet overwhelmingly say they intend to participate.
Parties Still Aren’t Reaching Everyone
Despite that high likelihood of voting, a sizable portion of Indian-American voters reported little or no outreach from political parties.
Forty percent said they had received no contact at all from the Democratic Party during the previous year. For the Republican Party, the figure was 56%.
Community organizations did not necessarily fill the gap: 40% reported receiving no contact from them either.
The findings point to a sizable group of politically engaged voters who intend to participate but are not necessarily being directly reached by either major party.
Indian-American respondents were nevertheless engaging politically in other ways. Seventy-five percent said they had discussed politics with family or friends during the previous 12 months. Eighteen percent had contacted an elected representative or government official, 19% had attended a protest or rally and 20% had attended a local government meeting.
Where Indian Americans Get Their News
The survey also offers a glimpse into the changing ways Indian-American voters consume political information.
Television remained the most commonly cited regular news source at 46%, but YouTube came next at 34%, ahead of mainstream print or digital news outlets at 31%. Facebook was regularly used for news by 28%, radio by 25%, Reddit by 20%, and X and WhatsApp by 16% each. Sixteen percent also said they regularly used Asian print or digital media in the United States.
Among respondents asked about the language of the news they consumed, 88% said they primarily used English-language sources, while 9% used both English and non-English sources.
Traditional journalism nevertheless retained considerably more credibility than social media personalities.
Fifty-three percent rated community journalists and news reporters as very or extremely trustworthy. Academic experts scored 60% and family and friends 58%. Only 17% gave the same level of trust to social media influencers and provocative media personalities.
Beyond the Party Numbers
Much of the political conversation around Indian-American voters has centered on whether the community is moving toward or away from one of the two major parties.
The 2026 survey certainly provides evidence of a strong Democratic advantage: 66% of Indian-American respondents favored a Democratic House candidate, while 18% favored a Republican.
But the disaggregated numbers tell a broader story.
They show a highly motivated electorate — 92% say they intend to vote — that is concerned first with the cost of living, health care and economic security. They also show voters worried about public safety and foreign policy, concerned about racism and gun violence, skeptical of immigration-enforcement practices and deeply unfavorable toward Trump.
Taken together, the findings suggest that understanding the Indian-American vote in 2026 requires looking beyond which party is gaining or losing ground — and toward what voters expect government to do about the issues affecting their everyday lives.
The 2026 AAPI Voter Survey was conducted from June 3 through July 27 among 2,066 registered AANHPI voters nationwide. The disaggregated results include 242 respondents categorized by the survey as “Asian Indian.” Because some questions were asked only of subsets of respondents, sample sizes vary for individual questions. The survey’s reported overall margin of error applies to the full sample, not specifically to the Indian-American subgroup.
