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7.15.26 – Insights from our 2026 June Primary Election Get Out the Filipino Vote Initiative
You know what keeps us up at night?
The importance of primary elections in ensuring the health of our democracy.
It has been a month since the Primary Elections concluded across all our cities, and during that time, we have been reflecting and regrouping, as well as analyzing the results of the elections — and most especially, the impact of our Get out the Filipino Vote (GOTFV) efforts.
As part of GOTFV efforts, we aimed to contact 15,000 Filipino and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters. To achieve this goal, our field organizers led canvassing and phone banking programs in San José, San Diego, Las Vegas and San Antonio.
As we approach the General Election on November 3rd nationwide, we are looking to elect representatives from our city and county all the way to the federal government. These folks will be advocating for us and voting on bills that impact our health care, housing, and overall livelihoods.
So how did we do? According to the Secretary of State websites for CA, TX, and NV, we saw historically high turnout rates compared to past years. The Public Policy Institute of California stated that voter turnout was “higher this cycle (34%) than in any midterm primary since 1982.” While this article was written on June 11th, final numbers showed that 40% of eligible voters in CA cast their primary ballot, with Santa Clara County polling in at 39.2% and San Diego County at 42%.
In Texas, there is a closed primary, in which voters receive and return ballots based on their party ID at registration. As shown by the dwindling number of counted ballots, a 2022 study by the Brennan Center, followed by further analysis in 2025, shows the impact of voter suppression laws. To assist with voter turnout, we supported one of our organizers to train as a Volunteer Deputy Registrar, as voter registration needs to be completed in person in Texas. The long and winded process made it difficult to register voters, much less turn them out for the Primaries.
In Las Vegas, we saw a statewide turnout of 21% percent, and our stomping ground in Clark County polling at 18.29%. While lower in comparison to our other chapters, this is significant growth from the 2024 Primary, where 16.22% of eligible voters turned out (Secretary of State, Nevada).
| Election | Party | Primary | Run-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (State ) | Republican | 11.61 % | 7.35% |
| Democratic | 12.35% | 2.92% | |
| Bexar County | Republican | 7.3 % | 5.37% |
| Democratic | 14.62 % | 4.49% | |
| California (State) | 40.8% | ||
| San Diego County | 42% | ||
| Santa Clara County | 39.2% | ||
| Nevada (State) | 21.81% | ||
| Clark County | 18.29% |
The upward trend we see across our chapters keeps us hopeful, as we continue to empower our kababayan (neighbors) to turn in their ballots and participate in a system that is built on democracy, justice, and fair representation.
So what does it mean to have a Filipina/x/o civic engagement organization knock on our kapwa’s doors? We were greeted with smiles and surprise – a Tita in San Jose delightfully told us she turned in her ballot early and chirped about her kababyan in the neighborhood, encouraging us to knock on the doors of other Filipina/x/o voters. In Texas, Filipina/x/o voters repeatedly told our team it’s the first time ANY Filipino organization reached out to them about voter resources and demystified the voter process for them. In Las Vegas, we were able to reach multiple AANHPI voters who have been called once or twice, but still pleasantly surprised that organizations like ours exist to build people power.
However, for as many “Salamat” (Thank You) and “I’m so glad you called” moments, we were also met with apathy and discouraged voters. We would go as many as 6 or 7 phone calls in a row, ending with an immediate hang-up or “I’m not interested”. We’ve also had hostile community members who’ve cursed at our canvassers or spiraled into the losses our community has faced under the current administration. However, our individual hopelessness can be combatted through collective action, where we elect leaders who have our best interests at heart and hold them accountable to pass policy that benefits us.
This is only the start. As the November General Midterm Elections loom over us, we are finalizing the elected officials who may be the single vote between policy that guts or funds healthcare and other social services.
All the chapters we operate in will be voting on a new Governer, and CA will be voting on 14 propositions ranging from Voter IDs to a billionaire tax that,if passed, could dampen the effects of H.R. 1.
We need our kapwa to stay aware and well-informed, so they turn a ballot that is most in line with their values. We’re opening the Voter Hub as a one-stop shop for voter education workshops and materials, as well as an activation. Volunteers and organizations can conduct voter outreach because everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard.
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