Studies Show Low Voter Turnout Amongst Young Latinos
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
What are the reasons, and what can be done about it?
Many in the demographic express feelings of disengagement, disinterest, and dissatisfaction during election season. Some voting experts - and even candidates themselves - are working to change that
For young voters like Diego Gonzalez, the allure of voting just isn’t there.
The 18-year-old said that even though this year will be his first time at the polls, the experience feels unappealing.
“I’m not excited or intrigued about it. I’m not really into politics like that,” Gonzalez said.
While many other generations were excited to cast their first vote and proudly wore their “I voted” stickers, that sentiment doesn’t seem to translate to many young people today. This, along with the results of elections, impacts their lives.
Young Latinos are often under fire for low turnout at the polls, but Sonja Diaz, Founding Director of UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute and Latina Futures 2050 Lab co-founder, said low youth voter turnout isn’t specific to any racial group.
“Historically in politics, young people have never turned out as more mature generations of voters,” said Diaz. “That is squarely an American phenomenon and practice, not a Black or Latino or white community…it’s not specific to any racial group, it's universal.”
Diaz added that another reason for low youth voter turnout is that it is often hard to relate to older politicians or issues other generations care about.
“There's an enthusiasm gap, and that does not push young people to overcome the structural and systemic barriers that make it difficult for them to cast a ballot.”
That’s the case for Gonzalez, who isn’t excited about elections but believes voter turnout among the young would increase if politicians engaged more with the youth.
“They just have to bring more to the table that will benefit people my age, ” Gonzalez said.
Diaz agreed that disengagement occurs when politicians don’t speak to a group’s specific interests.
When interviewed earlier this year by KNBC Los Angeles following a Senate debate on the same station, Diaz noted that none of the candidates mentioned immigration, DACA, or student loans, which she says are all topics that many Latinos are concerned about.
Results from a 2020 study, Race and Voting in California, by the Public Policy Institute of California, showed that Latinos made up California’s largest racial/ethnic group, representing 35% of the adult population.
However, Latinos only account for 21% of adults likely to vote.
InnerCity Struggle, a Boyle Heights-based organization, opened its doors in 1994 as a result of residents coming together to address the community's most critical issues.
According to David Gutierrez, the ICS community Engagement Coordinator, older community members are more willing to listen and engage in conversations about voting, but young people aren’t engaged for various reasons.
“A lot of the youth have been disillusioned and are tired of the status quo,” said Gutierrez. He said young people share things like, “‘The streetlights are off in my community, we’re rent-burdened, we have to support our parents with the rent, and we also have mistrust in political figures.’”
According to a study by Power California and Latino Decisions (which surveyed nearly 1,500 young voters in the 18 to 30 age range), most young people face economic insecurity, and this reality translates across all regions, political alignments, education levels, and incomes in California. The survey found that 86% of young voters in California support policies that address the housing crisis.
Elsie Garcia, 32, works with Boyle Heights Vota, a grassroots organization that, in 2019, was aimed at supporting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders's presidential election efforts but now has transitioned into a movement encouraging locals to get out to vote.
Garcia also sees how the disengagement of young Latinos is not so different from that of voters of all ages. Voters are frustrated and disappointed with how elected officials have disappointed the community in the past.
“Historically, our neighborhood of Boyle Heights has low voter turnouts, and it’s kind of expected of us that young folks don’t come out to vote, that we don’t make time to vote, and that we don’t care. I think there are those misconceptions, and I think this election showed that’s not necessarily true,” said Garcia.
According to Garcia, it helps to have candidates present new ideas and reach the community in unique ways so that more people are excited to get out and vote. Aside from traditional methods like door-to-door canvassing and rallies in the community, candidates are taking these convenings to places like local bars and restaurants to engage with a wider audience of voters.
For many young Latino voters, finding a suitable candidate to support an issue that speaks to them can prove to be a complex process. During the recent primaries in Los Angeles, many local candidates did everything to catch the voters' attention — from a steady stream of social media posts to knocking on doors.
Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Lopez, a Boyle Heights native, said she attended multiple candidate forums for LA City Council District 14 leading up to the 2024 Primary Election.
Unsure of who and what to vote for on the ballot, Lopez was set on finding a candidate who they believe will serve the community and who carries a long overdue quality in local office: authenticity.
“I tried to go to as many as I could. I wanted to compare them, like, ‘Okay, are they adjusting their answers to what the audience is feeling?’” said Lopez.
After attending three candidate forums, Lopez was better informed and selected their ideal candidate. With the upcoming presidential election, they are reminded of past elections and contemplate what this year’s race can mean for the future.
“I feel a bit uneasy. This upcoming election is giving me flashbacks to the 2016 election,“ said Lopez.
The air of uncertainty lingers as Lopez recalls the emotions that the 2016 election brought and, come November, prepares for who will be named the country’s next leader.
“I remember the blanket of grief and uncertainty that I had the next day after the election, and I can sense it approaching seeing the current political climate,” said Lopez.
Despite feeling unsettled by the upcoming elections and the ballot choices, Lopez still believes that each vote matters and will be among the many young people who will cast their vote later this year.