This blog was written in partnership with Communications Shop and LWV staff, including Isamar Garcia-Hernandez.

Every Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate music, food, and family. In our kitchens, classrooms, and neighborhoods, we are also building something bigger: a growing voice in American democracy. That voice travels to the polls. It travels on a ballot.

Imagine one ballot’s journey. It may belong to a grandmother who studied for citizenship at night and proudly cast her first vote. Or to a first-time voter who just turned 18 and carries their parents’ hopes into the voting booth. Maybe it belongs to a single parent juggling two jobs and still finding time to make a voting plan. A ballot is more than paper. It is a story of sacrifice, dreams, and daily life.

Growing and Younger

Eligible Latino voters are growing fast. About 36.2 million Latinos were eligible to vote in 2024, nearly four million more than in 2020.  

Each year, roughly 1.4 million Hispanics become eligible to vote. Eligible Latino voters are younger than the national average: the median age is roughly 37, nearly a decade below the overall electorate. Young voters are an essential part of our democracy, as they bring new priorities and new momentum to civic life.

When young people register and vote, they don’t just add to totals; they carry family stories into public choices. A first ballot can reflect a parent’s sacrifices, a teacher’s guidance, and a community’s hopes. As more young people register and vote, their choices enter the ballot box and become part of public life.

Not just Numbers: People, Families, Hopes

Numbers matter. They show us trends. But behind every number is a person.

One in 10 eligible voters in the US is a naturalized citizen. In recent years, Hispanic adults have made up the largest share (34%) of that population. More than half of naturalized citizen voters live in four states: California, Florida, New York, and Texas. Together, these states hold roughly a third of the US electorate. 
 

These facts show where many Latino families live, work, organize, and vote. But each household has its own story: a bus driver, a teacher, a small-business owner, or a college student. Each ballot represents those daily lives.

Barriers that Latinos Still Face

The journey to civic engagement is not always smooth. Latino voters face many direct barriers to the ballot, such as:

• Laws and rules that restrict access to registration or voting, including strict ID requirements.
• Fewer campaign contacts: political campaigns often reach Latino voters at lower rates, reducing access to information about registration and voting.
• Language access gaps: limited Spanish-language materials still leave many people without clear information.
• Discriminatory district maps (gerrymandering), disinformation campaigns, and undercounts in the census leave communities less represented.

These obstacles add up. They keep some people from even starting the ballot’s journey. Yet despite these barriers, Latino turnout has risen in recent cycles, and Latinos are increasingly decisive in states across the country. 

Strong and Diverse

Latino communities are diverse. We come from different countries, speak many dialects, and hold a wide range of viewpoints. Treating us as a single bloc hides that variety. That diversity is a strength: it means many ways to engage, organize, and elevate civic knowledge.

What We Can Do: Trusted Messengers Matter

We have power when we act together, and one of the most effective ways to help empower Latino voters is to talk to people you know.

By reaching out to friends and family as trusted messengers, we can stop the spread of misinformation and connect people to reliable resources. Share VOTE411.org. It offers plain-language, state-by-state election information in English and Spanish, personalized ballot guides, and tools to make a voting plan. For many first-time or naturalized voters, VOTE411 bridges the gap with clear deadlines, simple explanations, and candidate comparisons. 

Get Election Info at VOTE411!

If a neighbor is unsure how to register, help them. If a cousin needs to compare candidates, show them VOTE411. If a friend worries about voting rules, assist them as they make a plan to vote early or by mail, where allowed. Small, trusted actions add up.

From Heritage to Action

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates where we come from and also reminds us of what we can do next. Our heritage includes music and recipes, sure, but it is also the shared work of building a better future. Every ballot we cast is a part of that future.

Make sure your ballot begins its journey. Check your registration, find your polling place, and see your personalized ballot at VOTE411.org. Share the link with someone today because every ballot represents a person, a family, and a future.