Skip to Content

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

06.03.13

Inside the 2012 Latino Electorate

A record 11.2 million Latinos voted in 2012, but Latinos’ voter turnout rate declined to 48% in 2012 from 49.9% in 2008 and continued to lag other groups significantly. Among Latinos, voter turnout rates vary widely with the highest among those with a college degree (70.8%) and among Cuban origin Latinos (67.2%). Voter turnout rates are lowest among those ages 18 to 29 (36.9%) and those with less than a high school diploma (35.5%). Overall, voter turnout rates for all but three demographic subgroups of Latinos were lower in 2012 than in 2008. In addition, a record 12.1 million Latinos who were eligible to vote chose not to do so in 2012.

Related:

Politics

Reports and public opinion surveys examining the changing electoral participation and views of Latinos.

Identity

The Pew Hispanic Center recently published “When Labels Don’t Fit: Hispanics and their Views of Identity,” a report based on a nationwide survey that found most Hispanics don’t embrace the term “Hispanic.” And even fewer prefer the term “Latino.”

We then invited journalists, scholars and civic leaders to share their views about identity.