Latino Voter Turnout Hits Record Highs
EL PASO — Near a polling station less than a mile north from the Mexican border, Anna Dominguez, waved to drivers dressed in the colors of the American flag.
"Alright, alright! Andale, gracias," she shouted to passersby who honked.
Dominguez wore a white wide brimmed hat decorated with campaign buttons in support of Hillary Clinton. She stood in red socks and blue sneakers next to posters that read "Texans for Clinton/Kane."
A lifelong Democrat and former secretary for the local Democratic Party, Dominguez is pumped about this year's historic Latino voter turnout.
"For a long time we were told we were apathetic, we didn't vote but now … they have awoken a sleeping giant," she said. "And that sleeping giant is making its voice heard."
Latino turnout has hit records highs across the country led by states like Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. Early voting in El Paso, where Hispanics and Democrats are the majority, was 57 percent higher than 2012. The surge is expected to continue on Election Day.
David Galvan, an occupational therapist, echoed the reason why many Latinos have gone to the polls.
"What drove me to vote is I definitely didn't want Trump to win," he said.
Galvan said he wants Congress and the next president to discuss immigration reform, not mass deportations or a border wall. Recent polls suggest that Latino support for Hillary Clinton may surpass their support for President Obama in the past two elections.
