LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 05: Voters go to the polls for Super Tuesday primaries in the predominantly Latino neighborhood of Boyle Heights on February 5, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Latinos are an increasingly important factor in California where they are expected to account for 14 percent of the vote and tend to favor presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) over rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). At 44 million, Latinos make up15 percent of the US population, the nation's largest minority group according to the latest Census Bureau estimates. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) (2008 Getty Images)
A national Latino organization projects that more than 13 million Hispanics will vote this November, a 17 percent rise from the last presidential election in 2012.
The growth stems primarily from Latinos who have become of voting age and legal immigrants who have become naturalized citizens, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.
The organization noted that the number of Latinos who end up voting in November could go still higher, especially if one or more of the candidates generate a strong interest in the election.
NALEO also stated that voter registration drives being launched by Latino advocacy groups and the Spanish-language network Univision, could significantly alter the projected turnout.
“With more than 13.1 million Latinos expected to head to the polls to make their voices heard,” NALEO executive director Arturo Vargas said in a statement, “no candidate or political party can afford to take our support for granted if they want to win the race for the White House in 2016.”
Slightly more than 11 million Latinos voted in the 2012 election, when they gave GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, 27 percent of their support and Pres. Barack Obama 71 percent.
NALEO also projected Latino turnout increases in various battleground states.
More than 277,500 Latinos are projected to vote in Colorado – a 7.1 increase from 2012; in Nevada, more than 194,000 are expected to vote – a 23.6 percent increase; in Texas, more than 2 million Latinos could vote – a 10.5 percent increase.
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