Washington, U.S.A. — The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) has announced a new initiative to track and analyze Spanish-language political ad spending in 10 top target states leading up to the November elections.

Using comprehensive data on local television advertising from Kantar Media’s CMAG, the Speak Our Language project will both showcase the campaigns with a strong level of commitment to Spanish-language media and highlight those who ignore this critical demographic with their paid advertising.

“This election, Latino voters have the power to exert more influence, decide more races, and cast more votes than ever before, and there’s no doubt that political candidates and committees are fighting to capture that vote,” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the USHCC. ”But historically, political candidates and the various organizations that support them have largely ignored the media platforms Hispanic voters consume most: Spanish-language TV, radio, print and online outlets. The USHCC will be working to hold 2012 campaigns accountable for their commitment to the country’s Hispanic communities.”

CMAG’s research shows that overall, in 2008, an average of just 4.03 percent of all political TV ad spending across 28 top markets went to Spanish-language stations. In 2010, just 3.9 percent went to Spanish-language stations.

At the same time, the percentage of the electorate that is Hispanic continues to grow. In 2008, 40 percent of all new voters were Hispanic. In 2012, the number of registered Hispanic voters is expected to exceed 14 million.

“In almost every one of the 28 markets we examined over the last three elections, the share of political TV ad spending dedicated to Spanish-language stations was significantly lower than the share the stations received of the general market,” said Ken Goldstein, President of Kantar Media’s CMAG.   ”For example, in 2010 in Miami, Spanish language stations garnered 31 percent of all non-political television advertising, but only 12 percent of the political advertising and in Denver, Spanish language stations attracted 14 percent of all non-political advertising, but just a little more than one percent of political ad spending.”

One of the most important ways campaigns connect with voters is through television advertising. No matter how one feels about political ads, the fact is that in America today ads are the primary vehicle through which candidates from the presidential level down to the local level communicate their message and seek the support of voters.

“Political candidates and committees know that they need Latino voters in order to win, but they have to back up their words with real action and direct communication in order to mobilize the key Hispanic communities and garner those votes,” said Palomarez.

Key facts about Hispanic Voters

• 50.5 million: Number of Latinos in the United States (out of 308.7 million people)
• 16: Percentage of the total U.S. population in 2010 that was Latino.
• 29: Projected percentage of the U.S. population that will be Latino in 2050.
• 43: Percent increase since the 2000 census of the Latino population in the United States, according to the 2010 census.
• 14 million: Projected number of registered Hispanic voters in 2012.
• 21: Percentage of the population of swing-state Florida is Hispanic.
• 17: Percentage of potential voters in swing-state Colorado that is Hispanic.

Full Study available at www.USHCC.com

Image Courtesy  of  USDAgov

The article Candidates Race on Reach Hispanic Voters with Media Project appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In a Texas case that could have implications for other voting rights cases nationwide, the Supreme Court on Friday Jan 20, rejected a lower court’s redistricting plans for the state’s new electoral seats, which could pose constitutional concerns.

According to the 2010 Census, Texas’ population grew by more than four million people in the last decade – 65% of which is attributed to Hispanics – giving the state four additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and requiring changes in the election districts for the State Legislature.

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, jurisdictions labeled as historically discriminatory in electoral procedures (including Texas) must submit plans for changes affecting voting to the Attorney General or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Texas Legislature’s initial set of election maps had not been approved at the time of Texas’ first primaries, leading the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to create its own map for use in the interim.

The Texas court’s map gives greater voting power to the new population, which is largely minority, whereas the Legislature’s map seems to dilute the electoral power of the Hispanic and African American voters. The Supreme Court determined that the lower court had overstepped its authority, and ordered it to adhere more closely to the original plan.

“Election redistricting is an extremely important and delicate undertaking, with many opportunities for the empowerment or disenfranchisement a particular group of citizens,” said Benny Agosto, HNBA National President and Texas resident. “The HNBA is concerned about the constitutional implications of this decision, and the potential ripple-effect on redistricting disputes in which Latino voters’ rights are at stake.

As a national advocate for Latino voting rights, the HNBA will continue to follow these developments closely to ensure that democracy is not being compromised.”

“Protecting the Hispanic community’s electoral voice and the right to elect their candidate of choice is paramount. HNBA stands behind efforts to ensure that redistricting maps comply with the Voting Rights Act. Maps in Texas, and throughout the country, must account for the growth in the Hispanic population,” added Celeste Villarreal, HNBA Vice President of External Affairs.

The article Supreme Court Decision Could Hurt Latino Voters appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.