The Latino vote: Growing in numbers, and in demand

With less than two weeks from Pennsylvania’s primary election, Latinos are primed to play a major role in 2024 — and political parties are taking notice.

According to the Pew Research Center, about 615,000 Latinos in the state are eligible to vote this presidential election year.

Half of those voters reside in the 222 Corridor — “el corazon de la comunidad” — including cities such as Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Harrisburg, and Gettysburg. The state’s Puerto Rican population makes up the largest of that group, followed by those of Mexican and Dominican descent, data shows.

‘Fast-growing segment’

While the Latino population continues to grow, its impact when all is said and done will depend largely on voter turnout in 2024, said Christopher Borick, a pollster and political science professor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

“We’ve seen an increase in power, if you will, in the state, but what is interesting and important to note is among demographic and ethnic groups, when we look at the group as a whole, while it’s becoming a bigger share of the electorate, Latino residents have voted at a lower rate than other groups,” said Borick, who heads Muhlenberg’s Institute of Public Opinion.

“So, the impact of the Latino vote in the U.S. — and in Pennsylvania in particular — has not been fully realized yet.”

Only 30 percent of Pennsylvania’s voting-age Latinos cast ballots in the 2022 midterm elections, the Pew Research Center revealed.

Originally Published in Lehigh Valley News