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New UCLA LPPI Data Brief Shows Georgia’s Growing Latino Electorate Set to Play Pivotal Role in 2024 Race for the White House
With nearly 435,000 eligible voters, Latinos will be a key factor in a state that Biden won by merely 12,000 votes
LOS ANGELES (September 19, 2024)—The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) has released a new data brief on Latino eligible voters in Georgia. This marks the eighth in a series of reports using data from the Latino Data Hub to spotlight the significance of Latino voters in critical states and counties ahead of the 2024 election.
Georgia’s Latino eligible voter population has nearly quadrupled since 2000, now standing at 435,000, or 6% of the state’s electorate. In 2020, the state swung to the Democrats for the first time since 1992, with President Joe Biden winning by just 12,000 votes. Latino voters supported Biden by a 2-to-1 margin, a key factor in the razor-thin outcome. This growing Latino electorate could be decisive again in 2024.
Despite this growth, Latino voters face significant barriers to political participation. Since 2020, Georgia has passed a series of voter suppression laws that could impact turnout in the 2024 election. In 2021, the state prohibited the provision of food or refreshments to voters in line, banned mobile voting, and restricted voting by mail—measures widely criticized for disproportionately affecting minority communities, including Latinos. Additionally, the latest 2024 legislation expands the ability to challenge the eligibility of voters, creating further uncertainty and barriers for Latino voters.
The data brief of the key southern battleground state also provides a comprehensive analysis of the state’s Latino electorate, detailing their demographic growth, economic participation, educational attainment, language proficiency, housing, health insurance, and connectivity. The key findings include:
- The Latino population in Georgia is growing more rapidly than the non-Latino population and accounts for almost 6% of eligible voters.
- Latino eligible voters in Georgia are significantly younger than eligible voters as a whole. The share of young eligible voters ages 18 to 24 who are Latino is five percentage points higher than the Latino share of the overall electorate.
- Investing in Spanish-language outreach will be key to reaching Latino voters in Georgia. Almost half of all Latino eligible voters in Georgia are bilingual, and an additional one fifth only speak Spanish.
- Almost three quarters of Latino eligible voters in Georgia are U.S. born, and more than one quarter are naturalized citizens.
- Educational attainment is higher among Latino eligible voters in Georgia than nationwide but is still lower compared to all eligible voters in Georgia. While 28% of Latino voters in Georgia have a bachelor’s degree or higher, six percentage points higher than Latinos across the U.S., this is still six percentage points lower than the 34% of all eligible voters in the state who have attained a bachelor’s degree.
The brief also found that despite their high propensity to work, Latinos in Georgia have the lowest median hourly wage among racial and ethnic groups. Latino eligible voters are notably underrepresented in the educational, health, and social services sectors, yet overrepresented in manufacturing and construction. Housing challenges are also prevalent, as the proportion of Latino eligible voters living in overcrowded homes is more than twice the state’s overall rate, and 43% of Latino renters face housing cost burdens. Furthermore, they have the highest uninsured rates among major racial or ethnic groups in the state. However, most Latinos in Georgia have access to the internet, a smartphone, and a vehicle.
See additional briefs as part of the 2024 election research series here.
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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is a non-partisan research institute that seeks to inform, engage, and empower Latinos through innovative research and policy analysis. LPPI aims to promote equitable and inclusive policies that address the needs of the Latino community and advance social justice. 44.245.141.20.
