North Carolina's Latino population is growing — but not its recent voter turnout

WAKE COUNTY, North Carolina — When Josahandy Avila thinks about the 2024 presidential election, the word “excitement” does not come to mind.

As a first-generation Mexican American, her family is directly affected by state and federal immigration laws, and she’s concerned about reproductive rights. But at the presidential level, she’s still undecided — she is leaning toward President Joe Biden but is potentially open to a third-party ticket.

“I think that they’re just trying to give us what we want to hear,” she said of both Biden and Donald Trump. “Neither one of them are talking about issues that are very important to us. And it’s not only immigration, but it’s also education, health care — other things like the economy.”

As Democrats look to flip the battleground state of North Carolina back into the presidential win column for the first time since 2008, Latinos like Avila will be a key factor — but an increasingly tricky one.

The state’s Latino population has increased by 40% over the last decade — the largest increase of any other racial or ethnic group in the state. And Latinos make up more than 1.1 million residents — 290,000 of whom are registered voters — in a state that Trump won by less than 75,000 votes in 2020.

But getting them to the voting booth may be more difficult this year than ever. Latino voter turnout actually decreased in 2022 after having increased the past two midterm elections. And turnout was even worse in the most recent primary election, with less than 8% of Hispanic voters showing up, compared to nearly 30% of non-Hispanic voters.

Nikki Marín Baena is the co-founder and co-director of Siembra NC, a grassroots political organization based in Greensboro focused on progressive issues and