As we move through the primaries elections to the November 2022 general election (and beyond), we are seeing a major shift in minority group voting numbers. There are now an estimated 34.6 million Hispanics that will be eligible to vote. This is an increase of over 2 million from 2020 to make the largest minority voting group of all time! And political campaigns targeting Hispanic voters are getting powerful results in a surprising place—traditional media.
Hispanic Voters by the Numbers
- 34.6 million Hispanics that will be eligible to vote in 2022 becoming the largest Minority voting group in the history of American politics
- It would be an increase of 2.6 million from 2020 (32 million)
- Hispanics will be the largest Minority group in the electorate, representing 13.1% of all eligible voters
Source: US Census projections 2020
Targeted Media
So how do political candidates ensure they reach this large group of Hispanic voters? Oftentimes, the biggest advertising budgets go into TV and digital, but there is consistent power in traditional media like print, radio, and out-of-home (OOH).
Greg Anthony is the Head of Multicultural marketing at Refuel Agency, the largest provider of Media + Marketing services targeting niche audiences. He commented on Hispanic voters, saying, “We’ve been advising political ad agencies on how to reach minority audiences for over 30 years.”
Anthony works with hundreds of Hispanic newspapers, from planning, buying, materials, billing and proof of purchase. In doing so, he has witnessed the positive impact of this medium. “We know that the older, more educated demographic are more likely to vote and they can often be more effectively reached by focusing on offline media such as Spanish language newspapers.”
Read next: The Power of Print in Political Advertising
Hispanic Voters Media Preferences
- 81% of Hispanics look at billboards, posters, and other OOH media
- 78% listen to Spanish language radio
- 63% browse Spanish language websites
- 52% of Hispanics read Spanish language publications
Hispanic Voting Trends
Hispanics of both parties are expected to have a greater impact on the mid-term elections as well as the next presidential nomination process. But don’t make assumptions on how this complex group will vote. Political campaign strategists remember how Election 2020 missed the mark on reaching Hispanic voters and don’t want to misjudge these voters again.
In a digital era, campaign outreach relies heavily on digital and broadcast media to target American voters. However, as we’ve discussed before, print advertising is highly trusted by Hispanic voters yet an incredibly underutilized media outlet by political campaigns.
Hispanic Voters Insights
- 52% of eligible Hispanic voters lean towards the Democratic party; 29% are undecided
- 42% feel that the nation is headed in the right direction; 47% feel that it is headed in the wrong direction
- Biden has a 48% approval rating among Hispanics/Latinos
Source: GfK MRI-Simmons Winter 2022; Poll conducted by ICR/Americano Media LLC Feb-March 2022
The Bottom Line
Minority voters and Hispanic voters are an important part of the political landscape. The Hispanic vote can help sway both local and national campaigns. And when reaching this audience, it’s important to understand their preferences and motivations.
Refuel Agency is politically neutral. Over the past 30 years, we have worked on campaigns for Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates.
