The number of Hispanic surname registered voters doubled between 2012 and 2024, even while the non-Hispanic registered voter population has leveled off.
The U.S. Electorate is by nature dynamic, perhaps never more so than now. New groups of adult citizens enter the electorate through migration and through aging. Different populations bring their own dynamics – different regions and communities have differing groups of newcomers, underlying age structures, and fertility rates. All of which contribute to various and differing dynamics in the growth and change of the local electorate over time.
In my new White Paper titled, “Dynamics of the Yakima County Hispanic Electorate, 2012-2024”, I examine different aspects of electorate dynamics in Yakima County, including growth, registration and turnout rates, and age distribution, comparing the Hispanic and non-Hispanic electorate.
I find that the number of Hispanic surname registered voters has more than doubled from approximately 23,000 in 2012 to 48,300 in 2024, while the number of non-Hispanic surname registered voters has grown just 1.6% from approximately 83,400 in 2012 to 84,700 in 2024.
The age distribution among Hispanic surname registered voters is heavily shifted toward younger voters, while the non-Hispanic surname registered voter age distribution reflects a more mature population. In both groups, the shape of the age distribution of voters mirrors that of those registered, which in turn mirrors that of the underlying population.
The substantial difference in the age distribution between the two groups likely accounts for much of the difference in turnout observed between Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters in Yakima County.
