Abstract
Electoral equality in the US has been a process in which legal barriers have been progressively removed to make possible the right to vote for every citizen, including minorities. Despite the progress achieved during the 20th and 21st centuries, electoral equality does not guarantee political inclusion. It is not enough to have the right to vote to participate in elections, especially for minorities. Since electoral participation plays a very important role in democracy, efforts have been made to mobilize and include minorities. This dissertation explores how Latino subgroups - Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans- are different from each other in Florida, and how their voting patterns have also evolved in dissimilar paths. Both Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans are dynamic forces in Florida. Whereas Cuban Americans have been highly visible since the middle of the 20th century and have focused on building a political identity, Puerto Ricans had to struggle with initial invisibility in the 20th century followed by a not so favorable hypervisibility. Puerto Ricans might be in an ongoing process of building a political identity in the 21st century. By focusing on the voter turnout of these subgroups in specific elections in Florida this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of the complexities of minority voter turnout in the US. The overarching argument is that a combination of cultural, economic, and social factors better explain Cuban American and Puerto Rican voter turnout in Florida. Initial findings suggest that voter turnout increases among Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans when the level of social acceptance is higher and other socioeconomic factors are present. Therefore, social acceptance may be a factor contributing to political participation.The objective and conceptual innovation of this study is to understand different factors that may be affecting voter turnout in Florida and be able to recommend some public policies to increase minority participation in the future.