Hispanics Among the Lowest in Voting Turnout Rates

 By: Genesis Monserrate

The lowest voter turnouts among Hispanics are increasing in number. Hispanics now lag behind non- Hispanic blacks and whites.

According to a Gallup survey conducted, only 51 percent of Hispanics are registered to vote.  This has become a serious problem due to the lack of representation of the Hispanic community.

In states with large number of Hispanics, the low voting turnout greatly affects them politically. In Texas, the turnout rate is making the state become less competitive in a political sense.  With the participation of Hispanic voters, there would be more representation from the community.

However, there are many factors that contribute to the low voting turnout among the Hispanic community. 36.2 percent of the Hispanic population is foreign-born thus many do not speak the English-language. Another factor is that most of the Hispanic population are young; therefore, young voters tend to have a low turnout rate overall.

Last, an important factor to the Hispanic turnout rate is the lack of knowledge about politics. Unfortunately, much of the Hispanic population is not informed on what is occurring in Washington, which makes it challenging for Hispanics to vote on specific candidates on Election Day. 

Due to the seriousness of this issue, many advocacy groups and organizations have taken action in encouraging the Latino community to vote. Voto Latino, National Council of la Raza, Latinos Ready to Vote, and other groups have been the most successful in encouraging the Latino community to vote.

Through promotions and propaganda, advocacy groups and organizations strive to encourage Latinos to vote and have a say on Election Day. Although there is still a low turnout vote for Hispanics, there is still hope that the number of Hispanic voters on Election Day will increase.