---
title: "The 2004 National Survey Of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation"
description: "Candidates, political organizations and the news media are paying greater attention to Latino voters in 2004 than in any previous election year."
date: "2004-07-22"
authors:
  - name: "No Author"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2004/07/22/pew-hispanic-centerkaiser-family-foundation-2004-national-survey-of-latinos/"
categories:
  - "Demographics & Politics"
  - "Election 2004"
  - "Hispanic/Latino Voters"
  - "Political & Civic Engagement"
  - "Politics & Policy"
  - "Voter Demographics"
  - "Voter Participation"
datasets:
  - name: "2004 National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation"
    url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/dataset/2004-national-survey-of-latinos-politics-and-civic-participation/"
---

# The 2004 National Survey Of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation

## I. Overview

Candidates, political organizations and the news media are paying greater attention to Latino voters in 2004 than in any previous election year. This reflects the closeness of many political races, the rapid growth of the Hispanic population as well as other factors. Aside from being a relatively new player on the political scene, the Latino electorate is a complex mix of native-born U.S. citizens and immigrants who have become citizens by naturalization, of individuals who trace their ancestry to different countries of origin and of people who enjoy different levels of economic well-being. In order to better understand how the Hispanic population, both voters and non-voters, see the political choices facing the nation this year, the Pew Hispanic Center and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation collaborated on an extensive survey of adult Latinos. This is the third such collaboration. The first National Survey of Latinos in 2002 also examined political views as well as a range of attitudes regarding ethnic identity and the assimilation process. The second, conducted in 2003, focused on education.

The 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation was conducted by telephone from April 21, 2004 to June 9, 2004 among a nationally representative sample of 2,288 Latino respondents, including 1,166 registered voters. The first section of this report focuses on the views of Latino registered voters on a range of issues and concerns that are subject of debate in the current political campaign. The next section explores some of the differences in characteristics, attitudes and civic participation among Latino registered voters, those who are eligible to vote but have not registered and the large share of Latinos who are not U.S. citizens. The final section examines Hispanic views on a question that has risen to prominence each time the United States has experienced a substantial influx of immigrants: Is there a single American culture?

### Methodology

The Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation2004 National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Engagement was conducted by telephone between April 21 and June 9, 2004 among a nationally representative sample of 2,288 Latino adults, 18 years and older,who were selected at random. Latinos were identified based on the question “Are you, yourself, of Hispanic or Latino origin or descent, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central or South American, Caribbean, or some other Latin background?”Representatives of the Pew Hispanic Center and The Kaiser Family Foundation worked together to develop the survey questionnaire and analyze the results. International Communications Research of Media, PA conducted the fieldwork in either English or Spanish, based on the respondent’s preference.

The sample design employed a highly stratified disproportionate RDD sample of the 48 contiguous states. The results are weighted to represent the actual distribution of adults throughout the United States.

In this summary, Latinos are classified into four groups: total Latinos;registered Latinos; Latinos who are citizens of the United States, but not registered to vote; and Latinos who are not citizens. Total Latinos includes all respondents interviewed in this survey. Registered Latinos includes all respondents who say they are citizens of the United States and are currently registered to vote. Citizens who are not registered includes all respondents who say they are citizens of the United States, but say they are not currently registered to vote or do not know if they are registered to vote. Non-citizens includes all respondents who were not born in the United States or Puerto Rico and who say they have not become citizens of the United States.

The sample size and margin of sampling error for these groups is shown in the table below:

Please note that sampling error may be larger for other subgroups and sampling error is only one of many potential sources of error in this or any other public opinion poll.

Copies of this summary of findings (#7129) or topline finding from the survey (#7128) are available online at www.kff.org and www.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/hispanic.

## II. Latinos and the 2004 Election

Weighing their choices this election year, Latino voters are largely focused on bread and butter issues, including education and health care, however many are concerned about the conduct of the war in Iraq. Although immigration does not rank high among the issues that Hispanics say will determine their votes, more Latino voters favor Democratic plans for resolving the status of unauthorized migrants than favor President Bush’s proposal for a temporary worker program. On health care clear majorities say that government should provide health insurance for those without it and that they are willing to pay higher taxes or higher insurance premiums to see greater coverage of the uninsured. Latinos are divided over abortion and gay marriage, but on both issues a majority of Hispanic voters say they could still vote for a presidential candidate who disagrees with their views.

### Party Affiliation

Registered Latinos are most likely to identify themselves as Democrats. However, a sizable minority does not affiliate themselves with either party. The Democrats two-to-one advantage over the Republicans in party identification has not changed significantly since the 2000 presidential election. (Chart 1)

- Nearly half (45%) of registered Latinos consider themselves Democrats. Two in ten (20%) say that they are Republicans. Another two in ten (21%) say they are Independents, 8% say that they are “something else,” and 5% say that they do not know their party affiliation.
- Surveys similar in scope and methodology to this one found a virtually identical breakdowns in party identification in 1999 and 2002.[1. Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey of Latinos, (Fielded June – August 1999): 48% Democrat vs. 19% Republican. Pew Hispanic Center/ Kaiser Family Foundation National Survey of Latinos 2002, (Fielded April – June 2002): 49% Democrat vs. 20% Republican.]

Latinos of Cuban origins, as has long been the case, are more likely than other Latinos to say they are Republican. (Chart 2)

- Registered voters who trace their origins to Cuba make up six percent of the Latino electorate. More than half (52%) say they are Republicans. Less than two in ten (17%) say they are Democrats, and 9% say they are Independents.
- Registered voters of Mexican origins make up 60 percent of the Latino electorate. Nearly half (47%) say they are Democrats, while 18 percent identify as Republicans and 22% say they are Independents.
- Registered voters of Puerto Rican origins account for 15% of the Latino electorate. Half (50%) are Democrats while 17% are Republicans and 15% are Independents.

Latino Republicans have higher incomes and are more likely to be foreign born than Latino Democrats, but otherwise there are few significant differences in their socio-economic characteristics. (Charts 3 and 4)

- A larger share of Latino registered voters who identify as Republicans than Latino registered voters who identify as Democrats report incomes above $50,000 a year (44% vs. 34%) while a much smaller share reports annual incomes below $30,000 (19% vs. 33%).
- About a third (34%) of Latino Republicans are naturalized immigrants compared to about a quarter (26%) of Democrats.
- There are no major differences between Latino Republicans and Democrats in the shares that are Roman Catholics or other religious denominations, nor is there a significant difference in the number who say they are born-again Christians.
- Language use is also similar. English is the primary language for about the same shares of Latino Democrats (41%) as Republicans (40%).

Latino Democrats are more likely to say that discrimination is a major problem for Hispanics than Latino Republicans. (Chart 5)

- Nearly half (46%) of Latino Democrats say that discrimination is a major problem for Latinos, compared to less than a third (29%) of Republicans.
- Meanwhile, 41% of Democrats say that they personally or a family member has experienced discrimination in the past five years, compared to 20% of Republicans.

Three in ten registered Latinos say that they are paying close attention to the 2004 Presidential election, and another four in ten say that they are paying somewhat close attention. Those findings are similar to responses in surveys of the general population.[2. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Voter Attitudes Survey, 28% following very closely in June 2004, 31% in April 2004.] (Chart 6)

- When asked how closely they are following the 2004 presidential race, 31% of registered Latinos say very closely, 41% say somewhat closely, 18% say not too closely, and 9% say that they are not following the race at all.

### Ranking issues

Reflecting a long-standing difference, Hispanic registered voters are far more concerned about education than the general public, ranking it as their number one issue.[3. In The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Voter Attitudes Survey for June 2004 education ranked 7th in the list of issues respondents said they would like to hear presidential candidates talk about.] Interest in the economy and health care rate almost as highly among Latinos. Only half as many Hispanics (27%) said that immigration would be extremely important in determining their vote as cited education (54%). (Chart 7)

Percent of registered Latinos who say each will be extremely important in their vote for president this year:

- Education (54%)
- The economy and jobs (51%)
- Health care and Medicare (51%)
- U.S. campaign against terrorism (45%)
- The war in Iraq (40%)
- Crime (40%)
- Social Security (39%)
- Moral Values (36%)
- Taxes (33%)
- The federal budget deficit (30%)
- Immigration (27%)

### War in Iraq

At the time of this survey, registered Latinos were evenly split on whether the United States made the right or wrong decision in using military force in Iraq. However, a majority of Hispanic voters are critical of President Bush’s conduct of the war and say they believe that the Bush Administration deliberately misled the American public in its justification for the war. Latino views of the war reflect their partisan loyalties. (Chart 8)

- Nearly half (46%) of registered Latinos say that the United States made the right decision in using military force against Iraq. The same amount (46%) say that the United States made the wrong choice. Seven percent say that they did not know.
- Latinos are somewhat more dubious about the decision to go to war than the general population. In the June 2004 Voter Attitudes Survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 55 percent of respondents said it was the right choice, compared to 38 percent who said it was the wrong decision.
- Most registered Latinos (54%) say that the Bush Administration deliberately misled the American public about how big a threat Iraq was to the United States before the war began. However, about four in ten (39%) disagree and 7% say that they do not know.

Most registered Latinos say that they disapprove of the way President Bush is handling the situation in Iraq and they do not think that he has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion. (Chart 9)

- About four in ten (41%) registered Latinos say that they strongly disapprove of the way President Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, and another 15% say that they disapprove somewhat. About two in ten (22%) strongly approve of the way the President is handling the situation in Iraq and another 15% say they somewhat approve.
- The level of disapproval among Latino voters is roughly similar to the responses in surveys taken of the general population at the same time this survey was in the field. A Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted in mid-April recorded 54% disapproval and one conducted in mid-June found 55% disapproval. Among Latino registered voters the sum of those who disapprove strongly or somewhat is 56% in this survey.
- About six in ten (62%) registered Latinos say that they do not think that President Bush has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion. About three in ten (29%) disagree and say they think he does have a clear plan.
- Again, Latino views mirror those of the general population. An ABC News/Washington Post survey conducted in mid-May found that 59% of the general population does not think the administration has a clear plan for the successful conclusion of the war.
- On both of these points smaller shares of Hispanics than the general public approve of President’s Bush’s handling of the war or feel the administration has a clear plan for a successful conclusion. (In the Washington Post/ABC News polls in April and June, 45% and 44% of respondents said they approved of President Bush’s handling of the war compared to 37% of Latino registered voters and in the May ABC News/Washington Post survey 39% of the general population said the president had a clear plan for ending the war successfully compared to 29% of registered Latinos.) This likely reflects the Democratic party tilt among registered Latinos.

The divisions among Latino registered voters over the war reflect their partisan loyalties in which the Democrats hold an overall advantage. (Chart 9)

- On the question of President Bush’s handling of the war, for example, 76% of Latino Republicans approve while 73% of Democrats disapprove. Independents clearly lean towards disapproval 58% to 37%.
- Latino Republicans are somewhat less supportive of the president on the question of whether he has a plan to end the war successfully with a quarter (24%) saying he does not and 65% saying that he does. An overwhelming share of Latino Democrats (79%) and a sizeable majority of Independents (63%) said President Bush does not have a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

Most Latino registered voters could still vote for a presidential candidate who differed with their views on the war. (Chart 10)

- A slim majority of Latinos (53%) said they could still vote for a presidential candidate if they agreed with him on other issues but not on the war in Iraq. A substantial minority (39%) said they could not vote for a presidential candidate whose views on Iraq differed from theirs.

### Health Care

Registered Latinos say that a number of different health care issues will be important in their vote for president this year including the cost of health care, the number of Americans without health insurance, Medicare, and the Prescription drug benefit for seniors. (Chart 11)

The percent of registered Latinos who say that each will be important to their vote:

- The cost of health care and insurance (88%; 49% say extremely)
- The number of Americans without health insurance (84%; 47% say extremely)
- Prescription drug benefits for seniors (83%; 44% say extremely)
- Medicare (81%; 39% say extremely)

The vast majority of registered Latinos say that they think the government should provide health insurance for those without it. Furthermore, most say that they would be willing to pay more in higher health insurance premiums or higher taxes to increase the number of Americans who have health insurance. (Chart 12)

- About eight in ten (81%) registered Latinos say that the government should provide health insurance for Americans without insurance. Thirteen percent disagree.
- Six in ten (60%) registered Latinos would be willing to pay higher insurance premiums or higher taxes in order to increase the number of Americans who have health insurance. About one-third (34%) would not be willing to do this.
- Latino views on these matters largely supersede partisan loyalties in clear contrast to their views on the war in Iraq. Among Latino Democrats 89% say that the government should provide health insurance to those who lack it compared to 70% of Republicans and 75% of Independents. On the willingness to pay to increase the number of people with coverage 61% of both Democrats and Republicans answered affirmatively along with 57% of Independents.

### Immigration

Most registered Latinos are positive about the effects of undocumented and illegal immigrants on the U.S. economy, but a significant minority is not. (Chart 13)

- Six in ten (60%) registered Latinos say that undocumented or illegal immigrants help the economy by providing low-cost labor. However, about three in ten (31%) say that these immigrants hurt the economy by driving wages down.

Most registered Latinos think that the United States should allow the same number or increase the number of Latin Americans who come to work in this country legally. (Chart 13)

- Nearly half of registered Latinos (46%) say that the United States keep the number of Latin Americans allowed to come and work in this country legally the same. Another 30% say that they should increase the number.
- However, one in six (16%) say that the number of Latin Americans allowed to work in this country legally should be reduced.

Slightly more than half of registered Latinos responded favorably when asked about the immigration reform plan proposed by President Bush in January that would allow some workers now in the United States to remain as temporary workers on the condition that they returned to their countries of origin in several years. A much larger majority favored the plan endorsed by Sen. John F. Kerry and other Democrats that would allow undocumented Latino immigrants to gain permanent legal status and eventually citizenship. (Chart 14)

- Most registered Latinos (54%) would favor President Bush’s proposal for a temporary worker program while four in ten (40%) would oppose this plan.
- Latino Democrats were split over the proposal with 46% favoring and 48% opposing. Independent supported it 55% to 38%. Republican support for the president’s plan was stronger with 64% approving of it, but 29% of Republicans opposed it.
- The vast majority of registered Latinos (84%) would favor the Democratic alternative that would give unauthorized migrants a means to legalize their status. Just over one in ten (13%) would oppose this proposal.
- Latinos supported the Democratic alternative, which was embraced by Senator Kerry after the poll was conducted, in equal measure regardless of their partisan loyalties. Democrats and Independents supported it (83%) and 86% of Republicans also favored it.

Looking to future flows of immigration from Latin America, registered Latinos are more likely to favor giving all legal immigrants from Latin America the opportunity to stay in the United States and become citizens instead of creating a temporary worker program that would require them return to their country of origin. (Chart 15)

- Three in four (74%) registered Latinos say that they would prefer that all immigrants who come to the United States legally should have a chance to live here permanently and eventually become U.S. citizens. However, around two in ten (22%) would prefer that immigrants come to the United States through a temporary workers program which allows them to stay here for a number of years but then requires them to go back to their country of origin.
- On this point too, Latino views superseded partisan identification with Democrats (73%), Republicans (71%) and Independents (72%) favoring a system that ensured future immigrants permanent legal status and the opportunity to become citizens.

### Tax Cuts

Most registered Latinos say the tax cuts enacted in 2001 have not made much of a difference or they do not know if they have made a difference. The remainder of registered Latinos are split on whether the tax cuts have been good or bad. (Chart 16)

- Of registered Latinos, about two in ten (23%) say that the tax cuts enacted in 2001 have been good for the economy, another two in ten (21%) say they have been bad for the country, and one third (33%) say that the tax cuts have not made much of a difference either way. Two in ten (21%) say they do not know whether the tax cuts have been good or bad.
- Republicans are much more likely than Democrats or Independents to be positive about the cuts. Over four in ten (44%) say they have been good for the economy, compared to 27% of Independents and 12% of Democrats.

### Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage

Registered Latinos are slightly more likely to say that abortion should be legal rather than illegal. (Chart 17)

- About one half of registered Latinos say that abortion should be legal. That includes 17% who say that it should be legal in all cases and 32% who say that it should be legal in most cases.
- Just under half (44%) of registered Latinos say that abortion should be illegal. That includes 23% who say that it should be illegal in all cases and 21% who say that it should be illegal in most cases.
- The views of Latino registered voters on abortion are similar to those of the general population. An ABC News/ Washington Post survey in May found that 54% of Americans believe abortion should be legal. Averaging results of seven ABC News surveys going back to 2000 show the same level of support for legal abortion in the general population.
- Latinos differ in their views of abortion according to their partisan loyalties with 56% of Democrats believing it should be legal compared to 41% of Republicans and 48% of Independents.
- Among registered voters, Latino Roman Catholics are more likely (51%) to say that abortion should be legal than Protestants (37%) or evangelical Christians (39%).

Registered Latinos are split on whether or not there should be a constitutional amendment of the sort supported by President Bush that would prohibit gay marriages. (Chart 18)

- Just under half (45%) of registered Latinos would favor a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman thereby prohibiting legally sanctioned marriages for same sex couples. Another 48% of registered voters would oppose this type of amendment.
- Significant numbers of Latino Democrats (40%) favor the constitutional amendment, and significant numbers of Latino Republicans (34%) oppose it.
- More Latino registered voters who are evangelical Christians (56%) and Protestants (52%) support the amendment than Roman Catholics (44%).
- A survey of the general population conducted by the Gallup Organization in early May found that 51% of Americans favored the constitutional amendment and 45% opposed it.

Just over half of registered Latinos said that they could vote for a presidential candidate if they disagreed with him on abortion and same sex marriages. However, for about four in ten registered voters, disagreement on these issues could prevent them from voting for a candidate. (Chart 19)

Just about half of registered voters say that they could vote for a presidential candidate if they agreed with him on other issues, but not on the issue of:

- Abortion (54%) A constitutional amendment against same sex marriages (52%)

However, just about four in ten disagree, and say that they could not vote for a presidential candidate if they agreed on other issues, but not on the issue of:

- Abortion (38%)
- A constitutional amendment against same sex marriages (43%)

## III. The Latino Electorate

Latinos who are eligible to vote comprise a distinct segment of the Hispanic population with different characteristics than the adult population as a whole. Because voting requires citizenship, about four of every ten Latinos of voting age are not eligible to go the polls because they are immigrants who have not become citizens. Some are waiting to complete the naturalization process, others have not met the five-year residency requirement and still others have chosen not to seek U.S. citizenship. Also, a sizeable piece of the foreign-born population does not have the legal immigration status that would allow them to eventually become citizens.

A much lager share of Latino registered voters were born in the United States than in the Hispanic population as a whole. Not surprisingly, they have higher levels of education and are more likely to be English speakers as well. The results of this survey reveal one consistent difference that relates to political views: In responses to a series of questions the Immigrant non-voters are more responsive to ethnic appeals than Latinos who are registered voters. They are, for example, more likely to say that it is important to them to pick an organization that specifically addresses Latino concerns when they do volunteer work.

### Demographic Portrait

Three-quarters of the Latino electorate is native-born U.S. citizens compared to less than half of the total Latino population of voting age (18 years old plus). (Chart 20)

Two-thirds (66%) of the Latino electorate was born in the continental United States and another 8% were born in Puerto Rico where they are U.S. citizens by birthright. A quarter (26%) were born in a country other than the United States and have become U.S. citizens by naturalization.

Immigrants make up more than twice as large a share (57%) of the total Hispanic population that is at least 18 years old.

Like the general Latino population in the United States, most registered Latinos are Mexican, and the vast majority currently lives in the South or the West. (Chart 21)

Six in ten (60%) registered Latinos are Mexican, 15% are Puerto Rican, 6% are Cuban, 5% are South American, 4% are Central American, 4% are Spanish, and 2% are Dominican. The remaining 4% are from or have ancestors from other Latin countries.

Nearly eight in ten registered Latinos live in the South (39%) or the West (37%). Another 16% live in the Northeast and 8% live in the North Central region of the United States.

The vast majority of registered Latinos primarily speaks English or is bilingual. (Chart 22)

Over eight in ten registered Latinos primarily speak English (42%) or are bilingual (39%). About two in ten (19%) are Spanish dominant.

Reflecting the much larger presence of immigrants, language use in the Hispanic adult population as a whole is very different with 25% speaking primarily English, 29% bilingual and 46% Spanish dominant.

Most registered Latino citizens say that they get their news from both English and Spanish television or radio programs. However, the vast majority say they predominantly get their news from English sources. (Chart 22)

Most (53%) registered Latinos say that the news programs that they watch on television or listen to on the radio are a combination of Spanish and English. Twenty percent say that they are more English than Spanish, 25% say they are equally English and Spanish, and 8% say that they are more Spanish than English. Nearly four in ten (37%) say that they only watch or listen to news programs in English and about one in ten (9%) say that they only listen to programs in Spanish.

Most registered Latinos have a high school education or less than a high school education. (Chart 23)

Most registered Latinos (57%) have a high school education or less. About four in ten (41%) have had an education past high school, including 16% who are college graduates.

The Latino electorate is better educated than the Latino population as a whole. Among all adult Latinos 42% have not completed high school compared to 27% of registered voters. Only 10% of adults in the overall Latino population are college graduates.

### Attitudes About Government

Registered Latinos are not overly trusting of the government to do what is right. Most say they only trust the government to do what is right some of the time. (Chart 24)

When asked how much of the time they trust the government to do what is right, 9% of registered voters say they trust the government just about always, 29% say most of the time, 53% say some of the time, and 7% say never.

Registered Latinos are somewhat split as to whether they would prefer to pay more taxes for a large government that provides more services or if they would prefer to pay less in taxes and have a smaller government that provides fewer services. (Chart 25)

Forty-nine percent of registered Latinos say that they would prefer to pay higher taxes to support a larger government that provides more services, while 43% of registered Latinos say that they would prefer to pay lower taxes and have a smaller government that provides fewer services.

Partisan identification does not appear to be a major factor in shaping Latino views on this point with similar shares of Latino Democrats (52%) and Republicans (48%) saying they would pay for a larger government.

Registered Latinos are also split on whether or not political leaders care what people like them think and most say that political leaders are not interested in the problems of particular interest to Latinos living in the United States. (Chart 26)

About half of registered Latinos agree strongly (29%) or somewhat (23%) that political leaders do not care much what people like them think. Just under half disagree strongly (21%) or somewhat (25%).

Most registered Latinos (54%) say that based on their experience political leaders are not interested in the problems of particular concern to Latinos living in the United States. However, about four in ten (39%) disagree and say that political leaders are interested in Latino concerns.

Registered Latinos are considerably more likely to say that the Democratic Party has more concern for Latinos than the Republican Party. However, an equal amount says that there is no difference between the two parties. (Chart 27)

When asked if the Democratic Party or the Republican Party has more concern for Latinos, over four in ten (43%) registered Latinos say that the Democratic Party is more concerned while about one in ten (11%) say the Republican Party. However, over four in ten (42%) say that there is no difference between the two parties.

There is little consensus among registered Latinos, as to whether or not Latinos are working together towards common political goals. (Chart 28)

Fifty-one percent of registered Latinos say that Latinos from different countries are not working together to achieve common political goals. Over four in ten (43%) registered Latinos disagree and say that Latinos from different countries are working together.

However, for the most part, registered Latinos say that they are more concerned with politics and government in the United States rather than politics and government in their country of origin. (Chart 28)

About eight in ten (79%) of registered Latinos say that they are more concerned about government and politics in the United States rather than their country of origin. Just over one in ten (11%) say they are equally concerned about government and politics in the United States and their country of origin, and 6% say that they are more concerned about government and politics in their country of origin rather than the United States.

For the most part, registered Latinos say that religion should be kept out of public debates over social and political issues. (Chart 29)

About three in four (74%) registered Latinos agree that religion is a private matter that should be kept out of public debates over social and political issues. This includes six in ten (60%) that strongly feel this way. However, about one in four (23%) registered Latinos disagree.

Latino registered voters who are Roman Catholics are more likely to say they agree strongly that religion should be kept out of public debates (63%) compared to Protestants (48%) and born-again Christians (46%).

### Voting

The vast majority of registered Latinos say that they have voted in an election in the United States. However, one in seven registered voters say that they have not. (Chart 30)

When asked if they have ever voted in a U.S. election, 86% of registered Latinos said that they had and 14% said that they had not.

Although most registered Latinos say that they have voted in their most recent congressional election or presidential election, about one in ten said that they did not vote in either election. (Chart 30)

Nearly seven in ten (67%) registered Latinos said that they voted in the 2002 congressional election in their district, while 16% said that they did not.

About seven in ten (71%) registered Latinos said that they voted in the 2000 Presidential election, while 14% said that they did not.

Overall, 77% of registered Latinos said that they voted in the last Congressional or Presidential election and 9% said that they did not vote in either election.

When asked about reasons why they do not always vote, registered Latinos are more likely to cite reasons that have to do with candidates than factors of convenience. (Chart 31)

The Percent of registered Latinos who say that they do not always vote because: o They sometimes don’t like any of the candidates (59%) o They sometimes feel they don’t know enough about the candidates to vote (56%) o They feel that they can make more of a difference by getting involved in their community than by voting in elections (42%) o It’s difficult for them to get out to the polls to vote (18%) o It’s complicated to register to vote where they live (12%)

Most registered Latinos say that having a Latino candidate in a race will not make them more likely to vote. However a sizeable minority says that it will make a difference in getting them to the polls. (Chart 32)

Just over half (55%) of registered voters disagreed strongly (35%) or somewhat (20%) that they would be more likely to vote if there were Latinos on the ballot. However, about four in ten (41%) disagree, and say that they agree strongly (26%) or somewhat (15%) that having a Latino on the ballot would make them more likely to vote.

The reported behavior of Latino registered voters in this regard differs substantially from the perception of Latinos who are not part of the electorate. Among Latinos who are not U.S. citizens, for example, 82% say they believe that Latino voters are more likely to go to the polls if fellow Latinos are on the ballot box.

According to registered Latinos, a candidate’s ethnic background does play a role in winning their vote. Most registered Latinos say that they are more likely to vote for a Latino candidate instead of a non-Latino candidate if they have the same qualifications. However, most registered Latinos say that they would not vote for a Latino candidate if there is a better qualified non-Latino candidate running for the same office. (Charts 32 and 33)

Nearly six in ten (58%) registered Latinos say that they agree with the statement “I am more likely to vote for a Latino candidate instead of a non-Latino candidate running for the same office if they have the same qualifications.” This includes 38% who agree strongly with the statement.

Over seven in ten (73%) registered Latinos say that they disagree with the statement “I will usually pick a Latino candidate even if there is a better qualified non-Latino running for the same office.” This includes 55% who say they disagree strongly with the statement. However, nearly one in four (24%) registered Latino voters agree with the statement, including 15% who agree strongly.

On this point too, Latinos who are not voters assume that ethnic appeal plays a larger role than is actually the case according to the responses of registered voters. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Latinos who are not citizens said they believed Hispanic voters would pick a Hispanic candidate over a better qualified non-Hispanic while in fact only a quarter (24%) of Latino registered voters agreed with this view.

### Civic Engagement

There are a number of other ways that registered Latinos say that they actively participate in politics and current events besides voting. Many have attended a public meeting or demonstration in their community or contacted an elected official. (Chart 34)

Percent of registered Latinos who say that they have: o Attended a public meeting or demonstration in the community where they live (26%) o Contacted an elected official (22%) o Contributed money to a candidate running for public office (16%) o Attended a political party meeting or function (16%) o Worked as a volunteer or for pay for a political candidate (7%)

It does not appear that registered Latinos limit their political activities to those that are specific to Latino concerns. (Chart 35)

Of the 16% of registered Latinos who contributed money to a candidate running for public office, nearly half (48%) say the candidate was a non-Latino, 31% say they have contributed money to Latino and non-Latino candidates, and 13% say that they contributed money to a Latino candidate.

Of the 7% of registered Latinos who have worked for a political candidate, 23% say the candidate was not Latino, 44% say they have worked for both Latino and non-Latino candidates, and 28% say they have worked for Latino candidates only.

Of the 26% of registered Latinos who have attended a public meeting or demonstration in their community, 73% say that it was not specific to Latino concerns and 27% say that it was.

Registered Latinos are also active in their community, with nearly two-thirds saying that they have engaged in some volunteer activity in the past year. (Chart 36)

The percent of registered Latinos who said that in the past year they have volunteered their time to: o Any church or religious group (42%) o Any school or tutoring program (34%) o Any neighborhood, business, or community group (31%) o Any organization representing their particular nationality or ethnic or racial group (16%)

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of registered Latinos said that they had done any of the volunteer activities listed above in the last year.

Most Latinos who volunteer say that in deciding whether or not to volunteer it was not important to them that the organization specifically address Latino concerns. (Chart 37)

Of those Latinos who had engaged in volunteer activity in the past year, over six in ten (63%) say that in deciding whether to volunteer their time it is not important to them that the organization specifically addressed Latino concerns. Thirty-five percent disagreed, and say that it is important.

Ethnic appeal exercises a stronger among non-voters in determining volunteer activities. Of the 44% of Latinos who are not citizens and who had volunteered, two-thirds (67%) said that it was important to them that the organization addressed Latino concerns.

### The Potential for Growth

Nearly six in ten Latinos in the United States say that they are citizens. However, although all of these people are eligible to vote, just over four in ten Latinos say that they are registered voters. (Chart 38)

58% of Latinos in the United States say that they are citizens, while the remaining 42% say that they are not citizens.

The 58% of Latinos who say that they are citizens includes 43% who say they are registered to vote and another 14% who say that they are not registered.