Reports are pouring in from all over about the impact of the immigrant and Latino vote on yesterday’s elections.
From CNN:
Latinos are responsible for Obama’s victory in New Mexico and contributed strongly to his margins in Nevada and Colorado. In New Mexico, Latinos constituted 41 percent of the electorate and voted for Obama by a 69 percent to 30 percent margin; white voters in New Mexico supported McCain 56 percent to 42 percent.
From the Washington Post:
Barack Obama built his victory in Florida, a state that has been synonymous with heartbreak for many Democrats since 2000…
Most dramatic was his win among Hispanics, whom former White House political guru Karl Rove had avidly wooed. Four years ago, President Bush won 56 percent of the Latino vote in the state, thanks primarily to the influence of conservative Cuban Americans. But this year, Hispanics swung to the Democratic column, giving the candidate from Illinois 57 percent of their votes, according to network exit polls.
From the AP:
Democrat Barack Obama gained lopsided support from Hispanics in Tuesday’s election, winning solidly among voters with whom President Bush had made inroads in 2004.
From MarketWatch:
Early exit poll data suggest that Latino voters had a significant impact on the Presidential race in key states, according to an Election Day analysis conducted by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. The NALEO Educational Fund has projected that at least 9.2 million Latinos would vote in this election, and early results indicate that Latino voter turnout is likely to be higher.
And the list could go on. But it is clear that the immigrant vote played a huge role in last night’s election of Barack Obama. So, what does this all mean? This means that an overwhelming amount of people who helped to get Obama to the White House, will also be expecting him to act on Immigration Reform soon upon taking office. And we expect the next administration to deliver. Period.
Fair Immigration Reform Movement 