A new report released yesterday by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that since 2008, America’s Latino voting population has grown by 4 million, or 22 percent, to 23.7 million. Latinos now make up 11 percent of the electorate – an increase from 9.5 percent in 2008 and 8.2 percent in 2004.
The study points out that although the number of Latino voters has increased, their turnout has historically lagged behind other groups, especially whites and African Americans. Voter turnout rates among all racial minority populations have been gradually increasing since 2000, while the voter turnout rate for whites decreased slightly between 2004 and 2008.
The Pew Hispanic Center also analyzed Latino voter trends. The study noted that, while the number of Latinos who are eligible to vote has increased over the last four years, the number dropped between 2008 and 2010. Pew offered suggestions for why this might be, including the possibility that the economic downturn and the housing crises displaced many Latinos, forcing them to move and causing their voter registrations to lapse as a result of the change in address.
Check out the full report at the Pew Hispanic Center’s website. Also, on Moyers & Company this week, Bill will be discussing the importance of the Latino vote in this year’s election with Univision hosts Jorge Ramos & Maria Elena Salinas .
