September 25, 1998
Los Angeles, CA — "The day after November 3rd, the national political landscape will look very different," said Arturo Vargas, NALEO Executive Director. "Not only are Latinos seizing opportunities to win political offices they have not yet won, but the Latino voter again will play a key role in the upcoming elections.
The stage has been set for the potential growth of Latino electoral participation this election by the strong Latino presence at the polls in November 1996. Compared to the preceding Presidential election in 1992, the number of Latinos registered to vote increased dramatically from 5.1 million to 6.6 million, and the Latino share of registered voters grew from 4.1% to 5.1%. While the registration rate for the population as a whole dropped slightly in 1996 and reached its lowest point in any Presidential election since 1968, the Latino registration rate actually increased slightly between 1992 and 1996.
The growth in the number of actual voters was more than modest (an increase from 4,238,000 to 4,298,000), and the Latino share of actual voters grew from 3.7% to 4.7%. With respect to voter turnout among the eligible population, the turnout rates of both non-Latino and Latino voters decreased between 1992 and 1996; however, the non-Latino rate experienced a slightly sharper drop rate than the Latino rate," said Vargas.
NALEO's 1998 Latino Election Handbook will provide a demographic and political context for assessments about the potential for Latino electoral progress in November. For the nation as a whole, and for eight states which together contain 82% of the nation's Latino population, the Handbook generally includes the following data:
the projected size of the overall and Latino voting-age population for 1998;
the projected 1998 Latino vote:
the ethnic composition of the population;
1996 national Presidential voting and party affiliation for all voters and Latino voters;
the share of voters comprised of Latinos for the lst three Congressional/Presidential elections;
voter turnout and registration data for the Latino and non-Latino populations for the last three Congressional/Presidential elections; and
a description of races or election issues to watch.
Information on key election contests for the eight individual states, there is also a section on such contests for other states in the nation. Finally, for the nation as a whole, and for California, Florida, New York, and Texas, there are data comparing the participation of native-born and naturalized citizens in the November 1996 election, and information on naturalization trends. To obtain a copy of the 1998 Latino Election Handbook, contact Margie Benavides at (213) 720-1932 x122.
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