Figure 2 Hispanic Participation in Presidential Elections, 1988-2012 (in millions)
Hispanics continue to punch below their weight. Much was made right after the November election about the clout of the Hispanic vote (by, among others, the Pew Research Center). But the new Census Bureau data show that Hispanics’ turnout rate—just 48%—was far below that of whites (64.1%) or blacks (66.2%). It also fell nearly two percentage points below the Hispanic turnout rate in 2008, which was 49.9%. Because of population growth, the number of Latinos who voted for president increased by about 1.4 million from 2008 to 2012, to a record 11.2 million, but the number of Latinos who were eligible but chose not to vote increased even more—by 2.3 million—from 9.8 million in 2008 to 12.1 million in 2012.
Figure 2  | Hispanic Participation in Presidential Elections,  | 1988-2012  | (in millions)  | 25  | 23.3  | 20  | 15  | 11.2  | Eligible did voters  | 10  | who Eligible did not vote  | 3.7  | Number of votes cast  | 1988  | 1992  | 1996  | 2000  | 2004  | 2008  | 2012  | Note: Eligible voters are U.S citizens ages 18 and older.  | Source: Population For Survey 1988 throug November In 2008 Supplements Pew Hispanic For Center 2012, U.S. tabulations Census ofthe Bureau, Current  | Population Survey throug November Supplements Pew For 2012, U.S. Census Bureau,  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 