“If this finding is correct, I think the reason for the racial conservatism is something that needs to be explored further,” said Natalie Masuoka. “I also think that for Asian Americans, it’s not clear how strongly they oppose affirmative action. Voter education could be really essential in this case.”

In addition to voter education, there is an ongoing need for greater clarity in the language describing propositions, said Chon Noriega, director of UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center.