Latino Policy Forum: “Latino Voters Have the Power to Decide Elections”

“We have an opportunity to wield incredible power every time we vote, ensuring that the voice of Latino voters is not just heard, but that it resonates loudly and clearly.”

CHICAGO — Today, the Latino Policy Forum published new analysis of census data on the Latino electorate in Illinois. This brief, The Latino Electorate in Illinois: Demographics, Participation, and the Path to Greater Political Power, the latest in the Statistics on Latinos (SOL) series, sheds light on the significant and growing number of Latinos eligible to vote and the statistics on actual Latino voter turnout. The brief also offers explanations for current Latino voting rates and a pathway toward greater political influence and power.

“In Illinois, Latinos make up 13% of eligible voters, and that share grows every year,” said Latino Policy Forum President and CEO, Sylvia Puente. “We have an opportunity to wield incredible power every time we vote, ensuring that the voice of Latino voters is not just heard, but that it resonates loudly and clearly. That power is within reach, concerted efforts must be made to both register eligible Latino voters and encourage turnout to the polls.”

Among some of the new findings in The Latino Electorate in Illinois: Demographics, Participation, and the Path to Greater Political Power, are that:

• About 74% of Latinos over 18 years of age, are eligible to vote and this number is projected to grow since more than 30,000 Latinos in Illinois turn 18 every year.
• Latino voters young. 75% are under 55 years of age; most (almost 50%) of those younger than 55 are under 35 years of age.
• If registered, Latinos are more likely to vote. In the 2022 election, approximately 77% of registered Latino voters in Illinois voted.
• Latino voter turnout, however, is the lowest, compared to other racial/ethnic groups.

The brief also discusses the possible reasons for low voter turnout, including the youth of the Latino electorate, lack of effective outreach by both political parties, low media spending, and a failure of candidates to speak to the issues that matter to Latino voters.  

This is the 15th edition of Statistics on Latinos (SOL), and it builds on the last edition, Latinos in Illinois: A Brief Overview 2010 to 2021, which found that, for the first time, growth in the Latino population in Illinois was driven by those over the age of 18, that two-thirds of Latinos in Illinois were born in the United States, and that a majority of Latinos in the state are U.S. citizens.

Read the latest SOL: The Latino Electorate in Illinois: Demographics, Participation, and the Path to Greater Political Power, HERE.

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About the Latino Policy Forum

The Latino Policy Forum is the only organization in the Chicago area that facilitates the involvement of Latinos at all levels of public decision-making. The Forum conducts analysis to inform, influence and lead. Its goals are to improve education outcomes, advocate for affordable housing, promote just immigration policies, and engage diverse sectors of the community, with an understanding that advancing Latinos advances a shared future. For more information, visit www.latinopolicyforum.org.