It is estimated that this year, about 36.2 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the November elections, 3.9 million more than in 2020, when the number was 32.3 million, according to figures reported by the Pew Research Center. This accounts for nearly 50% of the total increase in new registered voters nationwide, which reached 7.75 million. In other words, while the national number of new voters increased by 3%, the number of new Hispanic voters eligible to vote increased by 12%, a significant difference.
However, it is known that the percentage of Hispanics who vote traditionally tends to be lower than that of whites, Blacks, and other ethnic groups. According to statistics from the Election Lab at the University of Florida, during the new century, whites continue to be the most consistent voters, with participation rates exceeding 60%, followed by Blacks, who are slightly lower, though they surpassed whites in the 2008 and 2012 elections. Next are Asians and other minorities, who tend to hover around 45%, and lastly, Hispanics, whose participation barely exceeds 40%, although there was a considerable uptick of nearly 6 points in 2020.
The same study shows a direct relationship between education and electoral maturity, indicating that the lower the educational level, the greater the indifference toward elections. All these factors continue to influence many eligible Hispanic voters to end up ignoring this duty, whether due to insecurity with the language, lack of knowledge about the system, work or family obligations, or simple lack of interest and political indifference.
Therefore, it is crucial for each Hispanic voter to take responsibility to invite, instruct, raise awareness, and encourage every family member, colleague and neighbor to fulfill their duty, first by registering and then by going out to vote in the elections. At this moment, when polarization is dividing and paralyzing the country, and with so much at stake, it is essential that everyone takes this civic and democratic duty seriously.
