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What immigrants affect the public charge rule? 1:41
(CNN) - There is little doubt that immigration will be an issue that many voters are weighing while heading to the polls in November.
A new report highlights an interesting fact to keep in mind as the 2020 presidential election is coming: a record number of immigrants are eligible to vote.
The report, published Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, notes that the size of the immigrant electorate has almost doubled since 2000. More than 23 million naturalized immigrants in the United States are eligible to vote, according to the report. That is about 1 in 10 eligible voters in the country, a record high.
The term “eligible voters,” says Pew, refers to people over 18 who are U.S. citizens. The center's analysis is based on data from the US Community Survey of the US Census Bureau. and the US 10-year census of 2000.
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This growth in the population of immigrant voters comes at a time when immigration policy issues have increased in importance, says Pew's report.
"Many of the policy changes proposed by the administration, such as expanding the border wall between Mexico and the United States and limiting legal immigration, have generated strong and polarized reactions from the public," says Pew. "These proposals can also affect the way immigrants see their place in the United States and the potential role they could play in the 2020 presidential elections."
A key point to consider: being eligible to vote is one thing, but actually registering and presenting at the polls is another.
Historically, the Pew report notes, electoral participation rates for eligible immigrant voters have lagged behind in comparison to voters born in the United States. In 2016, according to Pew, only 54% of eligible voters born abroad cast their votes, compared with 62% of eligible voters born in the United States.
But within racial and ethnic groups with the largest number of immigrants, the trend is different, says the report.
"Immigrant voter participation rates have been behind Americans in general," says Pew, "but not among Latinos and Asians."
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About 53% of Hispanic immigrants who were eligible to vote did so in 2016, compared to 46% of those born in the United States. Similarly, among eligible Asian voters, 52% of immigrants voted, compared with 45% of those born in the United States.
Other relevant findings in the report:
- Mexican and Filipino immigrants are the largest groups among eligible voters born abroad.
- 46% of the nation’s eligible immigrant voters live in states where Democratic primaries or assemblies take place on Tuesday or before. This is higher than 21% in 2016, says Pew, a change driven mainly by movements in the calendar of the primary elections and the assemblies of the Democratic Party.
- The number of immigrants living in the US It is on the rise, but only half of the immigrants in the country are eligible to vote.
- The four states with the largest population of eligible voters: California, New York, Florida and Texas (they are also home to the majority of immigrant voters). “Even so,” says Pew, “eligible immigrant voters are scattered throughout the country. While California may have more immigrant voters than any other state, many states have considerable populations of eligible immigrant voters. ”
- The immigrant electorate is growing faster in Georgia, Minnesota and North Carolina. "The three have seen their number of eligible immigrant voters almost triple between 2000 and 2018," says Pew. "Georgia increased this figure by 193% during this time, the fastest growth in the nation."
2020 United States Elections