The Increasing Latino Vote in Massachusetts: Results from the 2020 Presidential Election (Report from the Gastón Institute)
“Latinos have grown as a part of the Massachusetts population. To a considerable extent, this growth is reflected in Latinos’ political participation, as shown by voting statistics. For example, the number of Latinos voting in presidential elections rose from 51,000 in 2000 to 227,000 in 2020, a remarkable increase of 345%. Similarly, the percentage of votes for president that were cast by Latinos rose from 1.8% in 2000 to 7.0% in 2020. However, Latino voting is still not fully proportionate to Latinos’ share of the statewide population. Both of these phenomena — the growth of Latino voting and the continued lag — are examined in this report.”
“The Increasing Latino Vote in Massachusetts: Results from the 2020 Presidential Election” by Phillip Granberry, PhD and Luis F. Jiménez, PhD at The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy analyzes Current Population Survey (CPS) data from the six presidential election years from 2000 through 2020.
Citizen Voter Turnout Percentage in Massachusetts Presidential Election by Race and Ethnicity, 2000-2020
Some key findings from the report:
“Despite the pandemic and the lack of prominent competitive races in the 2020 elections in Massachusetts, turnout among Latinos continued rising”
“Compared to other groups in the commonwealth, [Latino] percentage rise was higher, especially because Black and Asian turnout actually dwindled in relationship to 2016”
“Although turnout has continued to increase in the last couple of elections, it remains below the national average and even below neighboring states like Connecticut”
The report offers an in-depth discussion on the main reasons for a lower Latino voter turnout compared to other groups.
