WASHINGTON
(By Suzanne Gamboa, AP) October 6, 2010
In a year when
Democrats are
struggling to
energize supporters,
Hispanic voters
appear significantly
less motivated than
the rest of the U.S.
to cast election
ballots even though
two-thirds of
Hispanic registered
voters say they'll
vote Democratic in
their congressional
race, a Pew Hispanic
Center study shows.
The center's
national survey,
released Tuesday,
found 51 percent of
Hispanic registered
voters were
absolutely certain
they would vote
compared with 70
percent of U.S.
voters and 65
percent of Hispanic
voters planned to
support the Democrat
in their
congressional
district, compared
with 47 percent of
U.S. voters.
They are pledging
that support even
though only 26
percent of the
voters said the
policies of
President Barack
Obama's
administration have
helped Hispanics.
Thirteen percent
said the
administration's
policies hurt
Hispanics, while 51
percent said they
had no effect.
"The Hispanic vote
appears to continue
to strongly identify
with the Democratic
Party," said Mark
Lopez, Pew Hispanic
Center's associate
director.
About 19.3 million
Hispanics, the
nation's largest
minority group, are
eligible to vote,
Pew Hispanic
estimates. Two of
every three live in
California, Texas,
Florida and New
York.
Hispanics voted more
than 2-to-1 for
Obama in 2008.
But the sagging
economy and outrage
among some voters
has the Democratic
Party concerned
about a general
apathy among its
core supporters and
some newer and
independent voters.
Hispanic voter
turnout generally is
lower than for U.S.
registered voters
overall.
But the Hispanic
share of all voters
increased from 6
percent in 2004 to
7.4 percent in 2008,
according to Pew
Hispanic's data.
Nearly half of
Hispanic eligible
voters say they
voted in 2008.
The Pew Hispanic
Center's survey also
found:
Thirty-eight percent
of Hispanic voters
whose primary
language is Spanish
are absolutely
certain to vote this
year.
Republican Hispanic
registered voters
are more likely than
Democratic Hispanic
registered voters to
say they have given
the election quite a
lot of thought, 44
percent versus 28
percent.
Among Hispanic
registered voters
who identify with or
lean toward the
Republican Party, 18
percent say the GOP
is better for
Hispanics than the
Democratic Party,
while 60 percent say
they see no
difference.
