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As Americans take to the polls this November for the 2024 presidential election, there will be an influx of young Latino voters voting for the first time. The election is projected to be the largest turnout of Latino voters to date.
In fact, Latino voters were the second-largest group of voters nationwide and the largest ethnic voting bloc for the first time in history, according to a 2020 report conducted by Tufts University and presented by Voto Latino, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and mobilizing Hispanic and Latino voters.
That being said, here is what you need to know about the rising power of young Latino voters in 2024.
Young Latino Voters Rocked the 2020 Election
In 2020, it was Latino youth who turned out in record numbers to vote in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia. In some states—such as Georgia, Colorado, and Arizona—young adults ages 18 to 24 were the largest bloc of Latino voters. In purple swing states, such as North Carolina and Texas, young Latino voters are the fastest-growing demographic.
As a matter of fact, 4.1 million Latinos across the country have turned eighteen since the last presidential election. They represent 50 percent of the total growth in eligible US voters. Accordingly, many of them are the first generation in their family to vote. Their influence is only growing as a force to be contended with thoughtfully in key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
What’s more? Every thirty seconds, a Latino person turns eighteen in the United States. Notably, in Texas and Arizona, the number of new Latino voters is larger than the margin in the 2020 presidential election. As such, young Latino voters should be recognized as a fast-growing demographic with the power to change the landscape of the political sandbox of the US.
Empowering Young Latino Voters
Typically, young Latino voters cast their ballot for their preferred president of the United States (POTUS) with the future in mind. Voto Latino finds the younger generation of Latino Americans concerned about student loans, equity in the job market, accessible healthcare for the elders in their family, abortion access, racial profiling by law enforcement, the growing climate catastrophe, and immigration reform. Thus, they will vote for the candidates whose policies align with their opinions on these pressing issues.
However, it is also important to note the Latino vote is not a monolith, but in fact comprises a wide range of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and values.
To uplift young Latino voters, civic engagement organization Voto Latino launched VL On-Campus 2024 to support the Latino community and encourage young voters to make their own political choices. The onus: to get young Latino voters to engage in their civic duty. VL On-Campus is a collaboration between Voto Latino and student leaders across the country at dozens of campuses in priority and expansion states. Voto Latino supports student efforts by providing tools, resources, and training to activate campus communities.
VL On-Campus activities include registering voters at concerts and community events with branded merch, swag, and more. The goal is for nonpartisan civic engagement of at least five thousand student voters by the November election.
The Voting Patterns of Young Latino Voters
Much like the overall Latino population, young Latino voters aren’t a monolith but actually comrpises a wide range of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and values. Together, though, Latinos have massive voting power. There are young Latino voters registered as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. For instance, Democrat support among Latinos peaked at 72 percent in 1996 for Bill Clinton while Republican support peaked at 40 percent in 2004 for George W. Bush, according to Pew Research Center data.
In recent years, Latino youth participation has been decisive, as it already was in the 2020 election when 73 percent of Latino youth voted for President Joe Biden. Voto Latino reported that young Latino voters supported Biden in the 2020 presidential election at significantly higher rates than their older counterparts. There’s also a higher number of young Latino folks who voted for Democrat candidates for the US House of Representatives over their Republican counterparts.
Looking to the 2024 presidential election, young Latino voters favor Biden over Trump 50 percent to 37 percent in a two-way race, according to a Harvard Youth Poll.
In addition, Latinas are more likely to support Democrat candidates compared to their male counterparts. If this gender divide among young Latino voters continues for the 2024 election cycle, it could impact the outcome of the presidential election significantly.
To influence young Latino voting patterns, political parties are enlisting strategies to engage with the crucial demographic, such as celebrity endorsements and campaign trail visits to predominantly Latino neighborhoods. The Latino community is also more likely to rely on social media than non-Latinos. It is a trend driven largely by the youthful cohort of eligible Latino voters, so politicians target them through campaigns on platforms like TikTok.
The rising wave of young Latino voters is poised to be a pivotal force in the 2024 presidential election. With their diverse backgrounds, values, and policy priorities, this powerful voting bloc has the potential to significantly influence the outcome.
As America’s electorate continues to evolve, all eyes will be on how young Latinos flex their civic muscle at the polls this November.
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Data and information provided by Voto Latino.
