Voto Latino Presents the New Influentials: Latino Youth Voters in America

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For 16 years, Voto Latino has educated, engaged, and empowered Latinx voters across the country. That investment led Latinx voters to turn out to the polls in record numbers in this year's elections and brought with it a wave of young, motivated Latinx voters that covered margins in multiple battleground states, helping President-elect Joe Biden to victory. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Voto Latino advocated for universal mail-in voting and expanded early voting opportunities. Latinx voters took advantage of both at disproportionate rates, delivering wins across the country.

697,872 Latinx voters cast early ballots in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all battleground states that clinched the presidency for Biden. Among Latinx early voters, those between the ages of 18 and 29 – by far the largest cohort within Voto Latino's audience – outvoted their older counterparts for the first time in history. Consistent contact between young Latinxs and Voto Latino proved critical in moving historical-ignored voters to disprove the narrative of the disengaged, low-propensity Latinx voter, with a wave of Latinx turnout across the country.

"Voto Latino mobilized over 3.7 million voters this election season, many of whom voted for the first time," said María Teresa Kumar, president and CEO of Voto Latino. "Our audience of excited, organized young Latinxs made sure to register, vote, and push their friends and families to vote, and the numbers bear that out. We have spent 16 years filling the gaps in engagement from the political establishment. From this point forward, both parties must actively and authentically speak to Latinx communities across the country if they have any hope of building a winning coalition. The era of Latinx political power in the United States has arrived."

This was also the first election in which the Latinx community became the second-largest voting bloc and the largest minority voting bloc in the American electorate. Voto Latino registered 601,330 voters for the 2020 election cycle. 79% of those registered by the organization were between the ages of 18 and 39. 58% were women. Overall, 54% of those the organization registered were first-time voters. Voto Latino has played a major role in registering and mobilizing low-propensity Latinx youth voters to the polls in these critical states. Additionally, 40% of all 2020 Latinx early voters did not vote in 2016.

Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power. 

Contact:
Danny Turkel, [email protected]    

SOURCE Voto Latino