The 2020 presidential election was historic for many reasons. We knew that the Latino community showed up in record numbers, but a new City University of New York study reveals just how significant these numbers were. For the first time ever, more than half of all eligible Latino voters showed up at the polls, making up about 1 in every 10 voters in the country.
Some 18.7 million registered Latinos voted in the 2020 presidential election. Prior to this election, the percentage of Latinos eligible to vote who actually cast their ballot had never surpassed 50% — in 2016, for example, 47.4% of eligible Latinos voted. Last November, that number hit 53.7% to help Democrat Joe Biden unseat the incumbent Donald Trump. In decisive battleground states like Arizona, Latino voting rates rose from 47.4% in 2016 to an extraordinary 60.8% in 2020.
The report attributes the record-breaking turnout numbers to younger Latinos between the ages of 18 and 44 and to a jump in participation among U.S.-born Latinos. Voting by Latinos aged 18 to 24 rose to 44.1% from 38.4% in 2016, and the 25-44 age group went up to 56.6% from 47.4% in 2016. Over 71% of all Latino eligible voters were born in the United States, and for the first time ever, voting by U.S.-born Latinos was about the same as for naturalized Latinos. Registration rates for U.S.-born Latinos rose to 61.5% from 56.4% in 2016, and their voting went up to 53.5% from 45.5% in 2016. “These increases among Latinos born in the U.S. were the principal statistical cause of the overall surge in registration and voting rates in the 2020 presidential election,” the report reads.
In the past, experts have attributed low Latino turnout to low voter registration rates, as previous elections have shown that once Latinos are registered, 80-83% of them show up to vote. Last year, 61.1% of eligible Latinos registered to vote, an increase from 57.3% in 2016. Of Latinos who registered to vote in 2020, a record-breaking 88% cast their ballot. While this is all great news, there is still work to be done to fulfill the political potential of our community. Despite record-breaking 2020 numbers, Latinos still had the lowest registration and voting rates of any major racial and ethnic group in the country.
1 out of every 10 voters in the country is Latino, and that’s with only 53.7% of eligible voters showing up to vote! Voting is a powerful tool, and the political power of the Latino community will continue to increase with every additional active voter. Encourage your eligible family and friends to register now and be ready for the next election—it’s easy, simple, and quick! To register to vote, click here.