Apr 25, 2019

Hispanic-American voter participation rates spiked 50% during midterms

Stef W. Kight

Two voting booths with people voting in them. One voter has a small, white, fluffy dog on a leash. — Photo: Atilgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Voter participation rates for Hispanic Americans in the 2018 midterms increased by 50% compared to the last midterm cycle, with more than a third of eligible voters under 30 turning out, compared to just 20% in 2014, according to new Census Bureau data.

The big picture: Overall voter turnout during the midterms was the highest it's been in a century, spiking 11.5 percentage points from 2014. Young and Hispanic voters — demographics that are both more likely to identify or lean Democrat — saw some of the largest spikes in voter-participation rates.

Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian voters saw the largest increases in voter participation for racial or ethnic groups. Both had 40% participation compared to 27% in 2014.
A new, private study also found Latino voters increased their share of the voting population by at least 3 percentage points in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Nevada, as NBC News reported. Latino voters in these states widely supported Democratic candidates, with the report finding that they were likely "largely responsible" for Democrats winning Senate seats in Nevada and Arizona.
Non-Hispanic white voters still had the highest voter turnout rate compared to other races and ethnicities.

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Hispanic-American voter participation rates spiked 50% during midterms

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