The Latino Vote
Photographer Oliver Contreras captures the portraits of members of the Latino community from different backgrounds who are eligible to vote in one of the most controversial presidential elections in the history of the United States.
According to The Pew Research Center’s National Survey of Latinos, a record 27.3 million Latinos are eligible to vote in this year’s election. Representing 12% of all eligible voters, this is a significant increase in the number of eligible Latino voters from previous election cycles.
Since 2012, the number of eligible Latino voters has increased by 4 million, accounting for 37% of the growth in all eligible voters during that timespan. A significant growth in the number of eligible Latino voters has helped make theU.S. electorate more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before.
The Latino vote is not only represented by first generation Latinos, but second generation as well, individuals born in the U.S. to at least one immigrant parent, according to the same study. In 2016, second-generation Latinos will make up about one-third (32%) of Latino eligible voters, up from 27% in 2008 and 26% in 2000.
Additionally, among Latinos registered to vote in the upcoming election who are “absolutely certain” they will vote, one-in-five will be voting for the first time, according to The Pew Research Center’s study.