Latinos Voters May Be Key in States Outside Southwest

Polls have shown that the so-called “Latino vote” is really divided between the Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran-American and Cuban-American votes. But, partly because of disputes about immigration, their voting patterns are more the same than they used to be. Latinos who see themselves as united could have surprising influence as soon as next Tuesday’s election.

In Colorado, Latino influence on a close race for the US Senate is taken for granted. But there are growing numbers of Latino voters in the Red States of Georgia and Kansas and in Swing States, including Iowa and North Carolina. Professor Matt Barretto at the University of Washington is co-founder of the polling firm Latino Decisions and co-author of the new book, Latino America: How America’s Most Dynamic Population Is Poised to Transform the Politics of the Nation.