As the last week of early voting begins, there are now just over 50,000 Hispanic residents in Mecklenburg County registered to vote. That’s a sizeable increase from this time last year when fewer than 45,000 Hispanics were registered.
The Latino Civic Engagement Committee, based in Charlotte, has focused on increasing Latino voter turnout and registering Latinos who can vote.
“In a close race, as we have right now, our community can make the difference depending on to what side they vote," Wendy Mateo-Pascual, the group's coordinator, said.
Republicans and Democrats are courting Hispanic voters. About half of Hispanic voters in North Carolina are registered as unaffiliated.
Hispanic voters represent close to 6% of the electorate in Mecklenburg County, but turnout among Hispanics in the county has been about 3-4% of all registered voters in recent elections. Close to 11,000 Hispanics in Mecklenburg County have already cast their ballot in this election.
