Recent changes in the electorate due to immigration

The total number of eligible voters grew from 2018 to 2022 by 3%. Let’s look at the Hispanic and Asian eligible population, which grew much faster.

First, the overall trend in the naturalized voter.

According to Pew, 9.8% of people eligible to vote in the 2020 U.S. presidential election were immigrants. This was up from 7.5% in 2008. About one third of these persons are Hispanic, one third Asian. (Go here and here.)

California had in 2020 more immigrant eligible voters (5.5 million) than any other state, more than New York (2.5 million) and Florida (2.5 million) combined. Texas and New Jersey have 1.8 million and 1.2 million immigrant eligible voters, respectively.

 

Naturalization rates among Asians eligible for naturalization are very high (often over 75%) but among Mexicans and Central Americans low (below 50%).

Eligible Hispanic voters grew by 16% between 2018 and 2022, accounting for 62% of eligible voters in that period. That makes them 14% of all eligible voters, up from 9% in 2008. The high rate of growth is due largely to the large number of Hispanic youth relative to the youth component of other ethnic/racial groups

Relative to the total eligible voter population, they are more inclined not to finish high school and less inclined to have an advanced degree. About 25% are immigrants, that is naturalized citizens.

The number of eligible Asian voters grew by 9% since 2018, to be 5.5% of the total eligible vote. They are much more inclined than than the total to have an advanced degree. 57% of them are immigrants, that is naturalized citizens.

The long term, and yery young eligible voters (18-19 years) old: note the extreme variation by region in the share of them who are Hispanic or Asian.

 

 

 

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