Hispanic vote becoming increasingly important: Percentage of white voters falls, while that of Latinos nearly doubles

The growth of the Hispanic electorate continues to reshape the country's political and demographic makeup. Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm election, Hispanics now account for 39 million eligible voters, equivalent to 16% of the U.S. electorate, according to an analysis by Pew Research Center.

The share of this group has nearly doubled over the past two decades. In 2006, Hispanics accounted for 9% of U.S. citizens eligible to vote; by 2026, that share will reach 16%. During that same period, the share of white Americans in the electorate fell from 74% to 61%.

Hispanic growth has also been particularly rapid over the past four years. Since the 2022 midterm election, the United States has added 8.4 million new eligible voters. Of these, 5.2 million are Hispanic, meaning this group accounted for more than half of the total growth in the electorate during that period.

A generation of young Hispanics is reaching voting age

The increase in the Hispanic electorate is primarily linked to the growth in the number of U.S.-born Americans who are reaching voting age.

According to Pew, more than 4 million Hispanics turned 18 between 2022 and 2026, accounting for approximately 80% of the growth in the Hispanic electorate during those years. Added to this are about 1 million Hispanic adults who became naturalized U.S. citizens during the same period.

The age composition also sets the Hispanic electorate apart from other groups. Hispanics eligible to vote have a median age of 39, compared with 52 among white voters. Furthermore, 30% of eligible Hispanic voters are between the ages of 18 and 29, the highest percentage among the major racial and ethnic groups analyzed by Pew.

California, Texas and Florida are home to millions of Hispanic voters

Although Hispanics do not constitute a majority of the electorate in any state, their presence is particularly significant in several of the country's most populous states.

In New Mexico, Hispanics account for 43% of eligible voters—the highest proportion by state. They are followed by California, at 33%; Texas, at 32%; and Arizona, at 25%.

California and Texas also top the list of states with the highest absolute number of eligible Hispanic voters, followed by Florida, New York and Arizona, according to 2024 state data used by Pew.

The growth of this electorate has been one of the main factors behind the racial and ethnic diversification of the U.S. electorate. Between 2006 and 2024, the share of Hispanics among eligible voters increased by 10 percentage points in both California and Nevada.

Hispanics continue to make up a smaller share of the eligible voting population

The demographic weight of Hispanics in the overall U.S. population does not automatically translate into the same percentage within the electorate. The reason is that only U.S. citizens over the age of 18 can vote.

In 2024, 52% of the Hispanic population was eligible to vote, compared with 81% of the white population, 74% of the black population, and 60% of the Asian population.

The difference is related, among other factors, to age and citizenship. Twenty-nine percent of the Hispanic population is under 18, while 21% of adult Hispanics are not U.S. citizens.

However, the proportion of Hispanics eligible to vote has increased significantly. Between 2006 and 2024, the proportion of the Hispanic population that met the requirements to vote increased by 12 percentage points—the largest increase among the major groups analyzed by Pew.