Latino Voting Shifts: Education, Religion, and the Limits of the 'Uneducated Voter' Narrative

Historically, Latinos tended to vote for Democrats and, on average, had lower levels of educational attainment than they do today. For example, the percentage of Latinos completing high school or earning an equivalent diploma rose from about 58% in 1996 to 88% in 2021. Similarly, the share of Latinos with a bachelor’s degree increased from roughly 14% in 2012 to 20% in 2022. Given these trends, the argument that Latinos are more likely to vote Republican today because of a supposed “lack of education” does not hold up against the data.

Some of this political shift can be tied to religious orthodoxy, since most Latinos are Catholic or affiliated with some form of Christianity, with smaller communities identifying as Muslim or Jewish. However, being religious does not equate to being uneducated. While it is true that the rate of educational attainment among Latino men has slightly declined, this does not explain the subtle rise in Republican support among Latinas, who simultaneously have higher rates of educational attainment.

It’s easy to claim Latinos vote Republican because they are uneducated, but if that were true, they would have been doing so for decades when educational attainment was much lower. In reality, Democrats have long failed to deliver on key issues for the Latino community, such as immigration reform, crime, and infrastructure. Added to this are sociological tensions, including the perception that women’s achievements are overshadowed by the rise of transgender advocacy, and a broader sense that the Democratic Party increasingly alienates men.

So while more education is always valuable, your political observation reflects bias more than it does the historical realities of Latino education and voting patterns.