Pew Report: Despite Record Number of Latino Voters, Turnout in Midterm Elections Still Declining

Oct 15, 2018
2:57 PM

(Photo by Bill Wechter/AFP/Getty Images)

In a new data dive published Monday by the Pew Research Center, the number of eligible U.S. Latino voters is now at 29 million for 2018, but the record number of voters is not transferring to high turnout rates during midterm elections.

“The Latino voter turnout rate in midterm elections has declined since 2006,” the report said. “In 2014, the turnout rate among Latino eligible voters dropped to a record low of 27%.”

“Young Latinos have contributed to this low voter turnout,” the report added. “In 2014, just 16% of eligible Latinos ages 18 to 35 voted, compared with 36.2% of Latinos 36 and older. At the same time, younger Latinos make up a large share of the Hispanic electorate. About 43.5% of all Hispanic eligible voters in 2018 are 18 to 35 years old, compared with 30.6% of all U.S. eligible voters. Hispanics also account for a significant share of young eligible voters nationwide. Hispanics make up about a fifth (18.1%) of all U.S. eligible voters ages 18 to 35, but just 10.4% of eligible voters ages 36 and older.”

The 29 million eligible U.S. Latino voters make up 12.8% of 2018 eligible voters in the country, according to Pew. To read the full report, titled “Key facts about Latinos in the 2018 midterm elections,” can be accessed here.