During a panel discussion hosted by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) regarding the impact of immigration and the economy on the election, experts from NCLR and the prominent polling firm, Latino Decisions, said Latino voters can have an influential role in a number of highly competitive Senate races if voter turnout is strong during the upcoming November midterm elections.
When analyzing 7 key Senate races and the demographic composition of the states, Matt Barreto, co-founder of Latino Decisions noted that, “There are places where Latinos can influence the outcome, but the turnout rates are going to be critical.”
The experts refuted claims that the small population of eligible Latino voters in many competitive states would render their voting impact insignificant. Since voter turnout during midterm elections has historically been low across multiple demographic groups, even a small influx of voters can influence the outcome of an election where the margins for victory are also small. Furthermore, experts warned that the relatively low levels of Latino outreach done during this campaign season is a trend that will not be viable for the 2016 presidential election given the projected increase of young eligible Latino voters.
NCLR is currently ramping up efforts to increase voter registration among Latinos in order to ensure Hispanics have a decisive voice in the upcoming elections. Janet Murguia, President of NCLR also underscored the power of young Latino voters. “Our young people have a powerful force, when they highlight that this is an issue that they care about, I think it sends a strong message to politicians as the growing population. They have to watch the demographic of a combined African-American and Hispanic-American collaborations that can really be powerful,” said Murguia.
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