Voter enthusiasm among American Hispanics is surging from 2014, almost double that of all Americans, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll.
There are 29 million Latinos in America, which represents roughly 13 percent of eligible voters this year, but their voter turnout rate has declined since 2006, per the Pew Research Center (PRC). Only 27 percent of eligible Latinos voted in the 2014 midterms, including just 16 percent of young voters aged 18 to 35, according to PRC.
But that should turn around this year amid an election cycle that has pushing immigration to the forefront.
The Sept. 1-Oct. 29 poll by Reuters/Ipsos found 36 percent of Hispanic voters said they were "certain" to vote, up from 27 percent in 2014. That increase is nearly double the five percentage point rise in voter enthusiasm among all Americans over the same period, the poll showed.
Hispanic poll respondents were 55 percent Democrat, 31 percent Republican, and 12 percent Independent, and 42 percent of Hispanic Democrats were "certain" to vote, a 13-point increase from the 29 percent in 2014. Among likely Hispanic voters, 60 percent said they will vote for a Democratic candidate for the House, and 32 percent would back a Republican.
Just over half, 53 percent, of likely Hispanic voters said they were “very motivated” to pick a candidate for Congress who opposes Trump, compared with 43 percent of all likely voters, 75 percent of likely Democratic voters and 9 percent of likely Republican voters.
Latinos could play a crucial role in several races, from tight Senate battles in Arizona and Texas to Florida’s close Senate and governor’s races. In California, the flourishing Latino population has helped put in play some Republican-controlled House districts Democrats hope to flip.
"We have seen an igniting of fear, division and violence under this (Trump) administration, but that’s not new to Arizona," Alejandra Gomez, a co-executive director of Lucha, which in translates to "fight" or "struggle." "We had the original Trump here under [former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe] Arpaio."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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