Latinos face racial disparities in voter turnout and counting

The voters Latinos and African Americans are “systematically underrepresented” in the elections, ensures an analysis of electoral participation in 2020, which found racial disparities in the acceptance of votes in states considered as “hinge” in USA

The report ‘Race and representation in the battleground counties’ analyzed electoral data in 11 counties in seven states that were key to the victory of US President Joe Biden.

Data collected by researchers at the Union of Concerned Scientists showed “a significant gap” affecting Latino and African-American voters, even in electoral districts where they are in the majority.

In the counties analyzed, including Maricopa County (Arizona), voter turnout is higher among districts with a higher percentage of Anglo population, with a 78%.

In contrast, turnout in electoral districts with a Hispanic majority drops to a 54% already a 59% in predominantly African-American areas.

Additionally, researchers found that communities of color are more likely to have their absentee or provisional ballots rejected with a 40%. Meanwhile, Anglo-Saxons are more likely to have their votes counted under the same circumstances, with just one 20% of rejections.

“It’s amazing to look at the actual election data and see how much where you live determines whether your voice will be heard in the election,” said Liza Gordon-Rogers, a research associate at the Center for Science and Democracy (USC), in a press release.

The researcher warned that the Latino and black communities ““They are less likely to have their needs and interests reflected in government if their votes are less likely to be counted.”

The 11 counties analyzed are located in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The researchers say this analysis also illustrates that conspiracy theories about widespread illegal voting are ““simply false”The report concludes that this data is vital to understanding not only the 2020 elections, but also future ones such as the one next November.

They recommended establishing a baseline to detect irregularities, helping organizations and voting advocates understand who is not being included in the electoral process.