As a new wave of young Latino voters flood the election ballots, they’re not just deciding the new U.S. President but shaping their influence in the future of American politics.
With a surge of new Latino voters heading to the polls, analysts expect the demographic to make a significant impact on the presidential race, along with other political decisions, in the 2024 elections. According to Pew Research, there are 36.2 million Latinos eligible to vote in 2024, the second fastest growing group among eligible voting populations. Nevertheless, barriers such as voter disinterest prevent the Latino vote from its true potential.
Research analyst for the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute Juliana Phan is familiar with the rise of the young Latino population. “In Los Angeles County, not only will Latinos comprise a larger share of younger eligible voters in the coming years…but they will also grow closer to one half of the eligible voter population overall.”
Phan has researched the Latino electorate extensively and worked on multiple pieces surrounding the Latino vote. In an email interview, she expresses the importance of this phenomenon. Phan notes, “This will mean, to an even greater extent, that how Los Angeles votes depends on how Latinos vote.”
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In 2023, the American Community survey estimated there were 2.6 million eligible Latino voters in Los Angeles County, the highest group in eligible voters. The group contains 40% of the county’s eligible voter population. In comparison, White voters were estimated to make up 2.2 million eligible voters in 2023. To put that into perspective, Latino voters would make up more voters than Black or African American, Asian, and Pacific Islander votes all put together.
LaRita Shelby, a director in Digital Media Strategy and Sales, sees the influences that young Latino voters have in this upcoming Presidential election. Through her call center Freedom Pathway Forward, a non-profit call center for Vice-President Harris, Shelby spends hours calling undecided and independent voters, many of which are young Latinos. “There is a rise of young voters, first time voters, in various cultural populations,” Shelby explains. “We’ve noticed that important, vulnerable voters are the reason elections run so close.” With her experience from the Obama campaign, Shelby believes young, undecided voters can become the deciding factor for tight political races.
However, despite the large numbers of eligible voters, Latino voters have typically had the lowest turnouts among demographics in Presidential Elections. According to US Census Data, the Latino citizen population in California had the lowest percentage of registered voters compared to other demographics. Likewise, among the registered population, it had the lowest population of voters in the November 2022 election.
Political disengagement among young Latino voters is prevalent throughout college campuses in Los Angeles. Multiple Latino students in Los Angeles Southwest College expressed disinterest in their participation in the upcoming election. One student in particular noted, “I don’t really care much about the election.”
Similarly, a couple of Santa Monica College students showed similar apathy towards the election due to their lack of concern for politics. Others simply chose not to vote because they disliked Former President Trump and didn’t know much about Vice-President Harris.
These figures demonstrate the variety of reasons Latino citizens choose not to vote or their barriers to voting in the election. With conflicting schedules being the most common, academic, work, and social responsibilities take precedence compared to voting.
However, amidst general disinterest in young eligible voters lies a political passion among the college Latino population. Santa Monica College has signs over their campuses motivating young students to vote in the polls. With decorative signs and motivated staff, an atmosphere that promotes casting a ballot runs throughout campus.
Students give their opinions on who they’ll vote for in the upcoming election. A cosmetology student believes voting is important for everyone to be heard and represented. Dulce, a student studying Biology, gave her vote for Harris. “She’s well qualified, and I like her policies,” Dulce said.
Zurimar Martinez, an accounting major at Santa Monica College, believes that voting is important as a Latino in the United States. “We need to represent those who aren’t able to vote,” Martinez says. “It feels a little privileged to not vote considering you have the ability to.”
Zurimar and many others represent a generation of Latino-Americans that have experienced two different national identities. With their vote and an increase in political engagement, young Latino-Americans have the ability to unlock the full potential of the Latino vote.
Phan notes the impact of political engagement within the Latino community. Phan explains that cultural and linguistic campaigning, “can have life-changing implications on local politics, such as city councils, superior courts, school boards, city and county propositions, and more.”
To register to vote or to find local voting locations, go on http://www.iwillvote.com.
