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Hispanics
Hispanics are the nation's largest and fastest growing minority group; at 46 million strong, they make up about 15% of the U.S. population. The number of Hispanics eligible to vote has increased to about 18.2 million, so the number of Latinos registering to vote and heading to the polls for the 2008 election is predicted to be an all-time high.
What’s more important than the numbers, however, is the map! Hispanics might become a really important “swing vote” in the upcoming presidential race based on where they live. In four valuable “swing states” (states that could go to either John McCain or Barack Obama) -- New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, and Colorado -- Hispanics make up a big part of the voting population, and can really make a difference with their votes there.
Immigration has become a more important issue to Latinos since the last election. Some 79% of Hispanic registered voters now say it is an “extremely” or “very” important issue in the upcoming presidential race; up from 63% who said the same thing in June 2004. Immigration still ranks behind education, health care, the economy and crime, but it’s the only issue that’s gone up so dramatically in importance in the last four years.***
A little over 57% of Hispanic voters are either registered Democrats or lean towards the Democratic Party, while just 23% align with the Republican Party.
For more information about Hispanic voters and civic involvement in the U.S., visit:
VotoLatino
www.votolatino.org
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