---
title: "First-Time Hispanic Voters"
description: "One-in-five Hispanics who voted in last November’s election were first-time voters."
date: "2009-02-17"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/02/17/first-time-hispanic-voters/"
---

# First-Time Hispanic Voters

In last November’s election, Hispanics voters were more than twice as likely as voters in the general population to be first-times voters. Fully 21% of Latinos cast a ballot for the first time, compared with only 8% of the total electorate. Young Hispanics in particular were likely to be first-time voters, with 47% of all Hispanics ages 18-29 casting their first vote in last year’s election. Three-in-ten (30%) Hispanic voters who identify themselves as independents were first-time voters, while 23% of Hispanic voters who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party were first-time voters. Among Hispanic voters who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, 12% said they were first-time voters. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1081/hispanics-and-the-new-administration-immigration-slips-as-a-priority)