NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) - Nationwide, the Latino population is having a growing influence in elections, especially on Tuesday night, when President Barack Obama was re-elected.
Exit polls show that the number of Hispanic people who voted for Obama is the highest it has been for a democratic candidate since 1996, with former President Bill Clinton.
The Pew Hispanic Center found that 71 percent of Latinos voted for Obama, and 27 percent voted for Republican Mitt Romney.
WECT caught up with several Latino families during the Latino Festival on Saturday. They said they were not surprised by the data, and said many supported Obama because they agreed with his policies on issues such as health care and immigration. They also said they felt like they could relate to him.
"Seeing as he is African American we can relate to him," said Ingrid Moreno. "He was the better candidate and we had more connections to him as opposed to Romney."
There were also a larger number of Latinos voting in this election. According to the same exit poll, Latinos made up 10 percent of the electorate, compared to 9 percent in 2008 and 8 percent in 2004.
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