Latinos continue to grow election influence

Getty Images

By: ArizonaLatinos.com Staff

Latino voting has steadily increased over the past six years, and a new report predicts that it will reach 14 percent of the electorate in Tuesday’s election.

That’s up from 8 percent in 2008, according to ONE Arizona, a collection of groups that encourage electoral participation.

The organization says the rise in Latino voting influence is the result of the growing Latino population (which has doubled since 1990 and is expected to do so again in the next 20 years), and the number of Latinos who have signed up for the Permanent Early Voting List, or PEVL. That’s grown from 94,000 in 2010 to more than 300,000 registered voters this cycle.

The report noted that Latino voters played an important role in the election of members of Congress (Anne Kirkpatrick, Ron Barber and Kyrsten Sinema) and in local races such as Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Councilman Danny Valenzuela.

ONE Arizona said it would continue to work to register the 300,000 eligible but unregistered Latino voters and to encourage more young, female and low-income voters. It also encouraged eligible voters to sign up for the PEVL.

Arizona’s election for statewide and legislative offices, propositions and some city offices and proposals is Tuesday, Nov. 4.