Research Shows Latino Voters in Central Valley and Southern California Face Major Participation Gaps

SACRAMENTO, CA — Today, California Environmental Voters Education Fund  (EnviroVoters Ed Fund), in partnership with Data for Social Good Foundation, published the following research to close the participation gap among underrepresented voters.

California has passed groundbreaking election reform laws that have expanded access to voting and to options to vote, and yet California’s racial voter participation gap persists: the communities that are most affected by climate change, pollution, and environmental injustice are historically the same communities have faced barriers to exercising their right to vote, the consequences of which are still felt today.

Expanding voter registration and voter turnout among young people, women, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color is essential to supporting democracy. EnviroVoters published this report to help close California’s voter participation gap, especially in underrepresented communities. Here are our biggest takeaways:

• Millions of Californians are either not registered to vote, or not going to the polls. There were 3 million unregistered eligible voters and 4 million registered voters who did not vote in 2020.
•  Moving to a full participatory democracy will take continued funding. It will take roughly $126 million for a multi-year election cycle to bring millions of California’s more than 7 million non-voters into the electorate. Closing the voter participation gap is a fundamental responsibility of the state and investing in measures to increase turnout, particularly among underrepresented groups, is a modest cost relative to the state’s overall budget.
• Latinos make up the biggest share of eligible voters, but their registration rates don’t reflect their size. Latinos had the lowest turnout rates in 8 (tied in 2) of the 10 counties, despite making up the majority of eligible voters and registrants in most counties.
• The top 10 counties in California that are underrepresented in terms of voting are all in the Central Valley and Inland Empire.These non-voters are largely people of color, and in these 10 counties alone we can target almost 4 million non-voters.

“We know that the present challenges to democracy and elections are impacted by the same systems that disproportionately harm communities of color and expose them to worsening health outcomes, air pollution, and economic disenfranchisement, even in a state as democratic as California,” said Melissa Romero, Deputy Legislative Director, California Environmental Voters. “It’s clear that a robust whole of government approach, in addition to funding trusted messengers in communities, is not only needed but the best strategy to create a fully participatory democracy in California.”  

“Ensuring that California’s electorate reflects the state’s rich diversity is central to the League’s mission, as it’s essential for building equal representation and a government that truly serves its people,” said Stephanie Doute, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of California. “We were excited to advise on this important research from Data for Social Good, which plays a crucial role in quantifying the challenges we face and highlighting the necessary investments to boost civic engagement and make our democracy more inclusive and representative.”

With the 2024 election around the corner, education will be the key to transformative change and shifting voters’ sense of power, trust, and place. Beyond this year’s election, continuing to educate and engage voters between electoral cycles will lessen voter cynicism, ensure communities can practice electoral accountability, and ensure that voters are engaged every election. But first, voters will have to be met by trusted messengers who understand their communities and their needs.  

This looks like administering grants to community based organizations and county elections offices via partnership with the Secretary of State and the Governor’s office of Community Partnerships, as well as increasing our Secretary of State’s ability to mobilize staff all across the state to champion the message that voting is precious, and our democracy needs full participation. 

“More and more, our elections are being decided by who stays home on Election Day. These eligible voters are voting with their feet, telling us they don’t believe that the government can fix the things they care about,” said Jose Luis Bedolla, Chief Executive Officer, Data for Social Good Foundation. “Those who have no voice in the process are disproportionately poor and of color. Their lack of representation in democratic decision-making means that the policies coming out of Sacramento don’t reflect their interests. Only by making ongoing investments can we have a fully participatory democracy, and, as a result, state policies that reflect the needs of all Californians.”

###