latino voters forward and up
Janie Benson is Co-Chair, C2C Latino Engagement Team. She is joined for this article by contributors Eliazar Posada, Jennifer Bremer, and Bill Morrisett.
In 2020, County-to County (C2C) launched the Latino Engagement Team (LET) to reach out to North Carolina’s fastest-growing ethnic group. Since then, LET has worked extensively with partner counties and candidates through canvassing, phone banking, post carding, and tabling events. The low Latino turnout in the 2022 midterms shows we have our work cut out for us in the coming year. Here’s why this work is vital for Democratic success in 2024 and how C2C can make a difference in motivating Latino voters to support Democrats.
Who are Latino voters in North Carolina and what is their voting history?
North Carolina is currently home to 1.1 million Latinos, a 40% increase between 2010 and 2020. While Latinos constitute 20% or more of the population in some rural counties, over one-quarter of all NC Latinos live in Mecklenburg and Wake Counties. NC Latinos are diverse in their educational levels, family country of origin, religious affiliation, and residence, and trend younger in age than the overall US population. The majority (61%) are US born.
As of 2020, about 342,000 Latino citizens of voting age lived in NC, more than double the number in 2010, yet just 66% were registered to vote. As of November 2022, 40% of registered Latinos were Democrats and 44% were Unaffiliated. Statewide, turnout among registered Latino voters was almost 60% in the 2020 presidential election but dropped to 25% in the 2022 midterms. NC Latinos registered as Republicans turned out at a higher rate in 2022 than did Latino Democrats and Unaffiliated voters.
Latino voters can make a difference in the 2024 elections
With their rapid growth, NC Latino voters are critical to Democratic wins. A number of state legislative candidates supported by C2C won or lost by narrow margins in 2022. 2024 is unlikely to be different. Gabe Esparza, a Democratic candidate for state treasurer, summarized the potential for Latino voters to make a difference. “The reality is in North Carolina that we don’t need hundreds of thousands…of Latinos to vote to win. We just need a few extra thousand, let alone a few extra hundred, because of how close the races always are.”
The task, however, will not be easy. In 2020, nearly one-quarter of NC Latino voters voted Republican. Republicans persist in their outreach to Latinos with appealing messages of a vibrant economy with low inflation. Increasing Latino voter turn-out, enhancing our visibility in Latino communities, and engaging persuadable Latino swing voters early on are all essential Democratic investments. Nationally, Latino adults hold positive views of the Democratic Party.
Priorities for Latino voters
In surveys taken immediately prior to the 2022 midterms, Latinos nationwide and in NC were consistent in the policy issues most important to them, specifically the economy, health care, violent crime, education, and gun control. Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the federal right to abortion, this issue quickly rose in importance among US Latinos. A sizable majority of Latinos nationwide (57%) believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases, a figure slightly lower than the US public overall (62%).
NC Latino voters prioritized inflation and women’s reproductive and abortion rights as the two most important issues they wanted Congress and the President to address, followed by gun safety and mass shootings, the price of gas and health care costs.
To expand Latino support in 2024, NC Democratic candidates must communicate policy accomplishments of high importance to Latino voters such as Medicaid expansion and jobs creation. Equally important is to contrast Democratic priorities with harmful Republican decisions on public education, gun safety, and abortion rights in NC.
What C2C can do to effectively engage with Latino voters
C2C is well-placed to reach Latino voters. Here are some of the actions our organization will take in 2024:
Prioritize Latino voters with commitments of time, resources, communication, and volunteers. Latino and Spanish-speaking volunteers are especially needed.
Provide bi-lingual materials. Latino voters age 40 and under are largely bi-lingual. For Spanish-speakers and older Latino voters, it is essential to have Spanish-language materials available. The C2C website is currently available in English and Spanish, as are our brochure and educational materials such as the photo ID flyer.
Expand the number of Spanish/dual-language phone banks, canvasses and text banks with our partner counties and candidates.
Provide resources/guidance to partner counties and candidates on reaching Latino communities, holding events in these communities, developing relationships with local Latino organizations and leaders, and creating effective messaging to Latinos.
Highlight Latino elected officials in NC via webinars and social media. No Latinos are currently members of the NC General Assembly. Just 12 Latinos hold local offices on Boards of Education, County Commissioners and City Councils. Featuring these officials in our events is a key step to increase Latino representation in local and state-wide offices and demonstrate commitment.
Join C2C in this important work. Sign up here if you’re interested in learning more about the Latino Engagement Team.
Data sources for calculations include the US Census and the NC State Board of Elections.