Record Latino voter turnout in 2008 helps Obama win key battleground states

This November 4^th Latinos turned out in record numbers with an estimated 10.2 million Latino voters casting ballots in the Presidential Election.  This marked a significant increase from the 7.6 million that the Census estimates voted in 2004.  The record turnout among Latinos solidified this emerging electorate as an important voting bloc within the American electorate.  Latino voters also helped to reshape the political map by helping President Elect Barrack Obama and Democrats win key states in the Southwest, Florida, Indiana, and Virginia.  As President Elect Barrack Obama and the new Democratic Congress prepare to take office in January 2009 it will be important to better understand the expectations and opinions of Latino voters.  This first national survey of Latino registered voters in the November 4^th Presidential Election offers a more in-depth look at the Latino vote in this election and its diversity across demographic subgroups.