Despite Population Surge, Kansas Latinos Don't Vote

Optimists might hope this an emergence of a "sleeping giant" in American politics when even flyover country pundits are taking notice of rising Hispanic populations.

However, the historical data isn't encouraging . . .

"First, the voting weight of Kansas Hispanics doesn’t reflect their numbers. Take Ford County, for example. In the 2020 Census, 58 percent of residents were Hispanic. However, the Census’s American Community Survey puts the county’s citizen voting age population at 63 percent non-Hispanic White.  

"Add to that comparatively lower voter registration and turnout rates among Hispanics. The result is that—for now—majority Hispanic Kansas communities have majority White electorates and often no elected Hispanic representation."

Read more of this really worthwhile report via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .

INSIGHT KANSAS: Hispanic population growing, but short on political power

The recent release of additional 2020 Census numbers is a treasure trove of fascinating data about Kansas. While redistricting and the urbanization of Kansas have dominated the political chatter about these data, they also tell an interesting story about our state's growing Hispanic population. Let's clarify some concepts.