In partnership with Data for Social Good—and with organizers from Make the Road Nevada in the driver's seat—this project surveyed nearly 700 registered Latino voters across the state in both English and Spanish. The survey was followed by in-depth focus group sessions with 11 participants.

A cluster analysis of the data revealed four distinct personas that offer a practical framework for understanding and responding to the experiences, priorities, and motivations shaping civic engagement and voting of Latinos in Nevada.

This project builds on the insights from our 2024 research with the Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE) and Data for Social Good. In Arizona, five unique voter clusters emerged that highlight the complexity and diversity of that community's values and motivations—challenging the outdated notion that Latino voters are a monolith and offering organizers a practical way to tailor their messages and strategies. You can revisit the 2024 research HERE.

The clusters we found in Nevada are different, reflecting a different state and political moment. Still, common threads and important differences in the research provide a deeper understanding of how Latino communities experience civic life and their seat in democracy. 

Arizona’s Alienated Centrists and Detached Undecideds are closely reflected in Nevada’s Faithless cluster. These groups have the least confidence in Latino vote power, a weaker sense of American identity, and deep distrust of institutions. Across both studies, respondents consistently named economic security and the cost of living among their top concerns.

Our learnings suggest that the path to civic empowerment lies in speaking to people’s lived realities and everyday concerns to rebuild trust and foster a sense of belonging. From there, organizers can create opportunities for people to experience their own civic power in community, helping them see themselves as agents of change.

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