WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- States set to gain congressional representatives have larger Hispanic populations than other states, the Pew Hispanic Center said Wednesday.
The center analyzed 2010 Census data. Researchers found the percentage of eligible voters that are Hispanic in states gaining seats is 15.2 percent. Those states that are losing seats or remaining flat average 5.4 percent.
Since 2000, almost 6 million Hispanics have become eligible to vote with the total now at 20.1 million. Most of the new potential voters were born in the United States and have turned 18.
However, more than half the Hispanics living in the United States are not eligible to vote. About 15.5 million are citizens under the age of 18, while 12.2 million are not U.S. citizens.
Two important swing states, Florida and Nevada, have large Hispanic populations, the center said. Both were carried by George W. Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama four years later.
"The 2010 Congressional Reapportionment and Latinos" is available at www.pewhispanic.org.
