UCI

About three in 10 Orange County residents describe their political orientation as very or somewhat liberal, three in 10 say they are middle-of-the-road, and four in 10 say they are very or somewhat conservative. The major difference between the two groups is that Latinos are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to call themselves liberal (35% to 27%), while non-Hispanic whites are more likely than Latinos to say they are moderate (34% to 24%).

Most Orange County residents describe themselves as middle-of-the-road to somewhat conservative in their politics (58%). Non-Hispanic whites (61%) and Latinos (53%) are both most likely to put themselves in this camp.

Next, we look at four measures of political involvement: political interest, attention to government and public affairs, frequency of voting, and voter registration. Three in four residents say they are registered to vote, including 91% of non-Hispanic whites and 39% of Latinos. About half say they always vote in elections, amounting to 59% of non-Hispanic whites and 18% of Latinos. Four in 10 say they follow what's going on in government and public affairs most of the time, including 45% of non-Hispanic whites and 17% of Latinos. Only 18% claim to have a great deal of interest in politics, amounting to 21% of non-Hispanic whites and 13% of Latinos.

There is low interest in politics among younger adults. For those under 35, only 57% are registered to vote, 21% say they always vote, 20% follow government affairs most of the time, and 9% have a great deal of interest in politics. Among people 35 and older, 86% are registered to vote, 62% say they always vote, 47% follow government affairs most of the time, and 24% have a great deal of interest in politics.