While the Latino community in North Carolina grew by 40% over the last decade — the largest demographic increase among all racial and ethnic groups in the state — the participation of this community in elections has been barely noticeable. Will the Latino vote grow in the November elections?
Currently, Latinos represent over 1.1 million residents, more than 308,000 of whom are registered voters — a considerable number, especially when we consider that elections in the last 10 years have been very close. For example, Donald Trump won North Carolina’s electoral votes by less than 75,000 votes in 2020.
Despite this, Latinos are the ethnic group that proportionally votes the least. For example, in the local elections of Mecklenburg County and the city of Charlotte, held in 2023, of the nearly 44,000 Latinos registered to vote, just over 2,400 voted. That is, barely 5.5%.
It would be very easy to blame this group for their lack of interest in going to the polls; however, this could be the effect of one or several deeper causes. Let’s examine two of the most relevant ones.
The Latino vote and the lack of representation
The numbers don’t lie: political parties do not reflect the community they serve. Approximately one in ten people in the state are Latino, but for the 2022 midterm elections, of the 2,000 candidates listed on state ballots, only 27 identified as Latino — just 1% of all candidates, according to a NALEO report.
If the 170 legislators in the state General Assembly were to proportionally reflect the state’s population, there should be between 17 and 18 Latino members in the legislature. But the reality is that today we have none. The same is true for most school boards, city councils, or county boards of commissioners.
Currently, around a dozen Latinos hold public office across North Carolina. None of them are at the state or federal level.
According to a survey published in late July by the Pew Research Center, when Latino voters were asked how much effort each party makes to earn the vote of people like them, approximately half of Latinos said the Democratic Party works at least somewhat (54%), compared to 47% who said the same about the Republican Party. A fairly mediocre result for both parties.
Fighting against indifference
While there is widespread disappointment with politicians — in large part because one party demonizes them and the other has broken too many promises — our community must take on its civic responsibility and set aside indifference.
The Census estimates that there are 440,529 Latinos in North Carolina who are eligible to vote. However, as of August 10th, 308,345 voters from this community were registered at the State Board of Elections. This means that approximately one-third of Latinos who can vote in the state aren’t even registered. What are they waiting for?
This year, we have a new historic opportunity to make our voices heard. Voting is the most powerful democratic tool that will allow us to build a better future for everyone.
Additionally, while it would be unfortunate if both the Democratic and Republican parties remain indifferent to Latino voters in North Carolina this year, the truth is that today, more than ever, Latinos have the power to tip the scales. Politicians must stop campaigning from a distance and invest (time and resources) locally. Indifference from politicians toward Latino voters could come with a heavy price this November.
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 05:10:00
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