Latinos gradually make their way to the polls

Slowly but surely seems to be the pace set by Latino voters heading toward the voting centers this election season.

As of Oct. 25 the Orange County Board of Elections counted 1505 registered Latino voters about 68 percent more voters than were registered in January.

Overall" the number of registered voters in the county grew nearly 15 percent since January.

The N.C. and Orange County Boards of Elections have tried to attract the Latino population by offering a voter's guide in Spanish that presents detailed instructions about the inscription and voting process.

""The actual ballots aren't in Spanish" but they do have Spanish instructions" said Tracy Reams, director of the Orange County Board of Elections.

Although the number of Latino voters represent less than two percent of the county's total registered voters, local officials were assured this will change in the future.

I don't think Latinos have made a big impact on voting here yet" but there's a strong possibility that they will in the future said Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton.

As there are more Latino families in the area their kids are folks born with U.S. rights to vote. It's a process that's unfolding at the time" Chilton said.

Almost 260,000 more Latinos immigrated to North Carolina from 2000 to 2007, a growth of about 68 percent.

N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, said the immigration status of Latinos will make a difference when they are filling out their ballots.

I think the kids will grow to remember how they and their parents were treated being immigrants" and that will have a very big impact on them and how they vote she said.

Kinnaird said one reason why the Latino population won't be a big factor of change in the upcoming election is their tendencies to vote Democratic.

The county being so heavily Democratic and with so many people registering I don't think it's going to make a big difference Kinnaird said.

Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson also said the majority of Latinos prefer the Democratic Party.

Most of my registered Latino friends are Democrats but when you think of it most of my friends are Democrats anyway Nelson said.

Nelson said the state's officials have responded to the growth of the Latino population in the past few years.

I think us as elected officials have a responsibility to reach out to Latinos listen to what they have to say welcome them and give them the services they need" he said.

Currently, 65,589 Latinos are registered in the state, about 11 percent of the Latinos that live in North Carolina.

But it's a number Chilton said will grow quickly.

For us here in Carrboro" Latinos are very important not just because it's 10 percent of the population" but because they are also a big part of the workforce.""



Contact the La Colina Editor at lacolinadesk@gmail.com.