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In each election, politicians aim to win “el voto Latino” or the Latinx vote, as this group has been one of the fastest-growing non-white voting blocs in the US. Not as much attention has been paid to young first-time voters, however. This year both the under 25 years of age and the Latinx vote are in the crosshairs of campaigns.
Politicians in past years have often missed the mark and not fully activated the “Latino vote”. They either ignore or do not fully understand how diverse the Latinx community is in culture and in political views.
This year is different. There is a significant increase in Hispanic citizens getting ready to vote in 2020 versus 2016. According to non-profit organization Voto Latino there has been a recent 2,750% spike in Latinx voter registrations since the police killing of George Floyd. Many of these are younger voters.
The message that the stakes are high seems to be resonating. Younger Latinx generations have found voting to be relatively easy and they believe in its value to them as citizens.
We spoke with two young first-time Latino voters, Angela and Brandon, to hear what they have to say.