Washington, DC - Hispanics are more likely to vote for candidates who support parental choice in education, including voucher programs, according to a poll released today by the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO) and the Alliance for School Choice. Hispanic CREO and the Alliance are non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

The bipartisan poll, conducted by the polling company, inc. and The Ampersand Agency in May 2007, revealed that 65 percent of Hispanic voters are more likely to vote for candidates who support school choice than candidates who do not. Only 19 percent stated that they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supported school choice.

Other key findings of the poll showed that education is among the top three voting issues for 82 percent of Latino voters, with the highest percentage (43 percent) of poll respondents rating school choice as their top educational priority.

In addition, parents who supported educational options were shown to be interested in utilizing different kinds of school choice. For example, 75 percent of the Hispanic parents polled said that they would be interested in using their own tax dollars to send their children to a private school - or to a public school in a higher-performing district. Furthermore, 83 percent of Hispanic voters agreed that school choice programs give students from low-income families a chance to attend better schools than their parents could otherwise afford.

"Latino voters throughout the country are solidly in support of school choice, and they want action now to ensure the best possible education for their children," said Hispanic CREO President & CEO Rebeca Nieves-Huffman. "Candidates at all levels should take this information seriously as they develop their position on school choice."

Charles Hokanson, president of the Alliance for School Choice, affirmed that, "This survey validates other research from leading pollsters and academic researchers demonstrating that the American public supports school choice."

According to Hokanson and Nieves-Huffman, both Hispanic CREO and the Alliance for School Choice reiterate their collective position that educational options are a fundamental right for parents, and that legislators must recognize their voters' overwhelming support of school choice programs and be willing to provide such programs in their states.

The Alliance/Hispanic CREO poll was conducted via telephone, with 820 participants. Forty-nine percent of respondents classified themselves as Democrats, with 21 percent Republicans and 23 percent Independents.