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Latinos in the 2016 Election: Kentucky

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters1 and other major groups of eligible voters in Kentucky.2 All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey.3

Hispanics in Kentucky’s Eligible Voter Population

Population and Electorate in the United States and Kentucky, 2014
  • The Hispanic population in Kentucky is the 38th largest in the nation. About 145,000 Hispanics reside in Kentucky, 0.3% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Kentucky’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 45th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
  • There are 49,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky—the 39th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.9 million.
  • Some 1% of Kentucky eligible voters are Hispanic, the 47th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
  • Some 34% of Hispanics in Kentucky are eligible to vote, ranking Kentucky 47th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 78% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.
Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky and the United States, 2014
Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky, by Race and Ethnicity, 2014
  1. Eligible voters are defined as U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Eligible voters are not the same as registered voters. To cast a vote, in all states except North Dakota, an eligible voter must first register to vote.
  2. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.
  3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is the largest household survey in the United States, with a sample of about 3 million addresses. The data used for this statistical profile come from the 2014 ACS Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), representing a 1% sample of the U.S. population. Like any survey, estimates from the ACS are subject to sampling error and (potentially) measurement error. More information is available on ACS sampling strategy and associated error.