Latinos in the 2016 Election: North Carolina

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in North Carolina.² All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey.³

North Carolina Voter Registration Statistics

Registered Voters in North Carolina, by Race and Ethnicity, 2004-2016

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, voter registration statistics as of October 29, 2016, show that 164,000 Latinos are registered to vote statewide. Overall, Latinos make up 2.4% of the state’s 6.9 million registered voters. The majority of voters in North Carolina are white—there are 4.8 million white registered voters, representing 69.5% of all registered voters in North Carolina. Additionally, more than two-in-ten registered voters in North Carolina are black (22.2%), with about 1.5 million voters statewide. The state does not report detailed information on Asian registered voters.

The number of Latinos registered to vote has increased from 10,000 during the 2004 presidential election to 114,000 during the 2012 presidential election and now stands at 164,000 for the 2016 presidential primary election. The share of Latino registered voters in North Carolina has also risen since 2004, from 0.2% in 2004 to 2.4% today. In 2004, whites made up more than three-quarters of all registered voters in North Carolina (77.8%). That share has been dropping, and whites now make up about seven-in-ten of all registered voters in North Carolina (69.5%). The share of North Carolina’s registered voters who are black has risen slightly—from 19.4% in 2004 to 22.2% today.

Hispanics in North Carolina’s Eligible Voter Population

Population and Electorate in the United States and North Carolina, 2014

The Hispanic population in North Carolina ranks 11th in the nation. About 890,000 Hispanics reside in North Carolina, 1.6% of all Hispanics in the United States.
North Carolina’s population is 9% Hispanic, ranking 26th in Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
There are 248,000 Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina—ranking 17th in Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.9 million.
Some 3% of North Carolina eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 32nd in Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
Fully 28% of Hispanics in North Carolina are eligible to vote, ranking North Carolina last nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 80% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in North Carolina and the United States, 2014

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in North Carolina, by Race and Ethnicity, 2014

Next: Latinos in the 2016 Election: Oklahoma

Eligible voters are defined as U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Eligible voters are not the same as registered voters. To cast a vote, in all states except North Dakota, an eligible voter must first register to vote. ↩
The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations. ↩
This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is the largest household survey in the United States, with a sample of about 3 million addresses. The data used for this statistical profile come from the 2014 ACS Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), representing a 1% sample of the U.S. population. Like any survey, estimates from the ACS are subject to sampling error and (potentially) measurement error. More information is available on ACS sampling strategy and associated error. ↩

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