MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hispanics growing influence in US elections could be decisive for Obama

Seven out of ten Hispanics identify themselves with the Democrat party

US Hispanics are over 50 million according to the 2010 census and as the most important minority their influence could be decisive on Tuesday 6 November when the presidential and legislative election. Between the two censuses (2000/2010) Hispanics’ growth rate was four times the overall population rate.

Currently Hispanics number 52 million which represent 16.7% of the US population and are expected to reach 132 million or 30.2% by 2050. Every month 50.000 young Hispanics turn 18, and have access to register voting.

According to the census estimates there are 2.4 million more potential Hispanic voters on Tuesday than back in 2008. This means that 23.7 million Hispanics could be registered to vote on Tuesday, four million more than in 2008 (up 2.2%) with 19.5 million.

Hispanics represent 11% of the 2012 electoral roll, and seven out of ten Hispanics identify themselves with the Democrat party, and 22% with the Republicans. The Educational Fund from Latino Elected Officials Association estimates that 12.2 million Hispanics will be voting on Tuesday which is 26% over the 9.7 million of 2008.

In 2008, 50% of Hispanics with the right to vote did not do so and despite the lack of national figures, according to the Pew Hispanic centre, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina the number of Hispanics registered has increased significantly over 2008.

A majority of Hispanics, 75%, are concentrated in ten states: Nevada, California, Arizona, Nuevo México, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey and New York. California has 14,4 %; Texas 9,8 %; Florida 4,4 % and New York, 3,5 % As to the countries of origin, Mexico leads followed by Puerto Rico, Cuba and El Salvador.

A majority of registered Hispanics, 73 % favours Obama compared to 21 % for Republican Mitt Romney. In the nine crucial states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, Obama has the support of 65% of Hispanics and Romney, 23%.

Among the main issues in the Hispanic agenda are: education, 55%; the economy, 54% and access to health services, 50%, according to Pew Hispanic. Unemployment among Hispanics stood in October at 10% compared to 7.9% according to the latest Labour Department report.
Immigration is an “extremely significant” issue for 34% of Hispanics registered to vote. One out of four Hispanics (26%) knows personally a deportation case in the last twelve months, and 22% among registered Hispanics.

President Obama last June signed an executive order temporarily detaining undocumented students’ deportation. Since Obama took office, 1.2 million undocumented have been deported.