The trend continues. The Dallas Morning News points out that only 83 people voted in a precinct where 6,910 people live. 6,400 of the residents are Latino.
Those who track voting patterns on the national level are especially
alarmed because 2012 has produced a decline in the number of registered
Hispanic voters, despite population gains that guarantee the addition of
thousands of potential voters every month.
There are
several reasons offered for why so many eligible Latino voters are not
taking part in elections, including a prolonged recession and the
collapse of the housing market, both of which can displace people and
interrupt their voting habits.
In our area, an important factor
also appears to be a lack of tradition in voting. Unlike in San Antonio
or El Paso, where Latinos have been enfranchised for generations, too
many eligible Hispanic voters in North Texas are simply not in the habit
of voting. How else do you end up with a turnout of 3 percent among
registered voters in a heavily Hispanic district, which is what happened
in Arlington on primary day?
This is not a partisan issue,
contrary to perception. Republicans and Democrats, at the party level,
need to invest significant resources to mobilize this electorate. In
Texas alone, there are about 2.1 million eligible Latino voters who are
not registered. Some of them, no doubt, live in voting precinct No.
4085. Getting them on the rolls and then to the polls should be a
priority.
