With election campaigns in full swing all over the United States, there actually hasn’t been too much pandering to the Latino community. Personally I haven’t seen an overwhelming number of campaign ads interupt the evening novelas (with the exception of Willie Colon singing Que Linda Manita over and over for Eliot Spitzer) and I certainly haven’t seen huge voter registration and education efforts happening in the Latino neighborhoods here in NYC. Both Democrats and Republicans have however launched ads that have offended the Latino community, likening us, especially immigrants, with terrorists. If the recent numbers coming out of the Pew Hispanic Center are right, both parties are losing out by not inviting us in to join.

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that more than 17 million Hispanics will be U.S. citizens over the age of 18 and thus eligible to vote in the November 2006 election, an increase of 7% over the 2004 election. The Hispanic share of the U.S. electorate will increase to 8.6% from 8.2% in 2004.

The fact sheets breaks down the numbers by state as well. With a little over a month left before election day, can both parties gain enough interest from the Latino community or is it a matter of too little too late? I certainly am feeling generally apathetic about voting in this upcoming election.

Via / Pew Hispanic Center