Approximately 5.9 million Hispanics voted in the 2000 presidential election, about 45 percent of the eligible voting-age population. Population growth, however, will increase the total number of Hispanic voters to more than 6.5 million in 2004, assuming the same registration and voting rates that were seen in 2000. The 10.6 percent increase will be a key factor in 22 states where the total number of votes cast for George W. Bush and Al Gore in the 2000 election differed by less than 10 percent.
This data rich report details: - U.S. Hispanic electorate political activity and influence - Voting characteristics among different demographics of the Hispanic Population - Geographic voting trends - Pivotal issues for this year's elections
Several of the key insights in the data-rich report follow: - A decreasing majority of registered Hispanic voters in 2003 called themselves Democrats (39.8 percent, with 24.9 percent registering as Republican and 35 percent registering as Independent). - Females age 25 to 44 years represent the largest Hispanic voting segment at 23.21 percent. - Education is the issue that will determine the vote of 58 percent of Hispanic voters in the coming election. - Education directly correlates to political participation, especially among high school graduate Hispanics who are 10 percent more likely to vote in an election than non-graduates counterparts.
