South sees increase of Hispanic voting bloc

Between 2004 and 2008, the number of Hispanic voters increased by 392 percent in Georgia and 278 percent in Tennessee, the largest increases anywhere in the nation, according to a new report.

But Hispanic voter numbers, compared to the total, still are minimal.

For the 2008 general elections, close to 4 million people voted in Georgia and more than 2.5 million people voted in Tennessee. But Hispanic voters total only 128,000 in Georgia and 34,000 in Tennessee.

"They are not a major voting bloc at this point, and politicians keep count," said University of Tennessee at Chattanooga political scientist Robert Swansbrough. "And until more are registered and more actively vote, their influence won't be as great."

According to a report from the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, the largest increases in Latino voters anywhere in the country in percentage terms occurred not in the immigrant "gateway" states such as Texas, California and Arizona, but in three Southern states -- Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Washington-based center used U.S. Census data for its report, "Latino and Asian Clout in the Voting Booth: Census Data Underscores Growing Power of Minority Voters."

"I think (the Hispanic community) is seeing how important it is to be fully engaged in the civic process," said Stephen Fotopulos, director of Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

He said the increased voter participation for Hispanics is due, in part, because they see people around them being affected by tougher immigration enforcement, including deportations for minor traffic violations.

Local organizations, including La Paz de Dios, the statewide immigrant and refugee rights coalition, and Dalton's Coalition of Latino Leaders, actively registered voters for the presidential elections.

But the increase of voters can't be attributed solely to those efforts, said Elias Feghali, communications director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

"It's the recognition of a growing community utilizing the available resources to have a voice," he said.

The increase also reflects the growth of the Hispanic population in the region, particularly in areas such as Dalton and Calhoun, in Georgia, he said. Politicians no longer can ignore Hispanics and expect no backlash, Dr. Swansbrough said.

"As the numbers increase, and you see this in the sensitivity to immigration issues, many congressmen have had to walk very carefully because obviously this is a significant bloc of voters, as we saw just recently in the Senate debate over the ratification of Justice (Sonia) Sotomayor," he said.