When Cues Collide: Partisan Signals and the Dynamics of Ethnic Voting in Nonpartisan Local Elections

Voters often use candidate ethnicity as a shortcut in low-information elections, but partisan cues might shift the weight of ethnic signals. This article examines how partisan information moderates the relationship between co-ethnicity and vote choice in 103 multiethnic, nonpartisan mayoral elections in California (2010–2021). Although party labels are absent from ballots, candidates sometimes publicly signal a partisan affiliation. Using precinct-level election returns and voter registration data, I find that Latino candidates receive greater support as the share of Latino registrants in a precinct increases—but this relationship changes when party information is revealed. When facing a known non-Latino Democrat, Latino candidates receive less support than their nonpartisan counterparts; when facing a known non-Latino Republican, they gain support. These effects are strongest in precincts with more Latino Democrats. The findings highlight how party cues reshape ethnic voting, even without formal partisan labels.