A Record 24 Million Latinos Are Eligible to Vote, But Turnout Rate Has Lagged That of Whites, Blacks

A record 24 million Latinos are eligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center. This is up by more than 4 million, or 22%, since 2008, when 19.5 million Latinos were eligible to vote. With rapid population growth, Latinos today are also a greater share of the nation’s 215 million eligible voters—11.0% this year, up from 9.5% in 2008 and 8.2% in 2004. However, the turnout rate of eligible Latino voters historically lags that of whites and blacks by substantial margins. In 2008, for example, 50% of eligible Latino voters cast ballots, compared with 65% of blacks and 66% of whites.

Report Materials:

09.19.12

Hispanics in the Nation’s Metropolitan Areas

Nearly half (45%) of the nation’s Hispanic population lives in just 10 metropolitan areas and over 75% live in 60 of the largest Hispanic metropolitan areas, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center. In addition, in 13 of the 60 metropolitan areas, Hispanics are a majority of all residents. Mexicans, overall, are the largest Hispanic origin group in 50 of the 60 areas. For more see:

Interactives:

Politics

Reports and public opinion surveys examining the changing electoral participation and views of Latinos.

Election Fact Sheets: Data on the size and social and economic characteristics of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic eligible voter populations. 2012 | 2010 | 2008
Interactive: Mapping the Latino Electorate
The Latino Vote in the 2010 Elections
The Latino Electorate in 2010:
More Voters, More Non-Voters

Identity

The Pew Hispanic Center recently published “When Labels Don’t Fit: Hispanics and their Views of Identity,” a report based on a nationwide survey that found most Hispanics don’t embrace the term “Hispanic.” And even fewer prefer the term “Latino.”

We then invited journalists, scholars and civic leaders to share their views about identity.