Turnout weak for talk on Latino vote

The growing Latino vote can be the deciding factor in close elections such as the current presidential election, a UNC political science professor said Tuesday.

A few students gathered Tuesday for the fifth ‘PoliTalk’ hosted by the department of political science and held in Hamilton Hall. Justin Gross, a political science professor, led the discussion, which focused on the importance of the Latino and Latina vote in the 2012 election.

“Latino turnout can make a difference in states where the margin between the two candidates is small,” he said.

Gross examined Latino polls that predicted how many Latinos were planning to vote in the election.

Nationally, 23 percent of Latinos are leaning toward Mitt Romney, while 77 percent support President Barack Obama, he said.

Gross said when surveyed, more Latinos believed the Democratic platform better addressed their concerns.

“Latinos are trending heavily Democrat, and this could be a big problem for Republicans,” Gross said.

The Latino vote for the Republican Party in 2004 reached its highest peak at 41 percent, Gross said, adding that Romney is aiming a bit below this, hoping to gain at least 38 percent.

Despite national factors, each state faces unique challenges when it comes to Latino voters.

North Carolina, for instance, has one of the lowest percentages of eligible Latino voters in the U.S.

“A lot of (Latinos) are under 18 or undocumented here,” Gross said.

Sophomore Murphy Donohue, a history and political science major, expressed her interest in the rising Latino presence in the U.S.

“It is extremely important because they are becoming a very large minority in the United States,” Donohue said.

She also stressed the importance of both candidates addressing issues that are important to the Latino community in order to sway their votes.

“Polls have been underestimating the Latino vote,” Gross said.

She said she didn’t know about the forum, which only three students attended.

Turnout was low, but the discussion was strong and weighed heavily on the people who attended.

Sophomore Sarah Hallowell, a political science major, attended the event in hope of better understanding the significance of minority groups in the 2012 election.

“I have an interest in the election and how different groups are affecting it because it is going to be so close,” she said.

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