More Latinos Going To Georgia's Polls

ATLANTA -- A growing number of voters who will show up at the polls on Tuesday will be newly-registered Latinos.

Both parties see they have a chance to win some longtime loyalists if they make a good first impression this year.

"The first time I vote ever, it's last year, this year," said new voter Vanessa Olcese Inman.

Inman is originally from Peru. When she and her American husband decided this was home, she became a citizen, and joined a booming number of Latinos who are joining the Georgia voting lines.

"And it's very exciting for me to be part of this political process now, as a Latino," she said. "I think Republicans and Democrats should be aware that the number of Latino voters is growing every year."

The secretary of state's office counts more than 60,000 Hispanic voters in the state right now. It's just 1.3 percent of the state's active registered voters. But that's more than double the 0.6 percent share of just four years ago. And voting rights groups keep registering more, in key counties.

"As of July 1, 2008, there are 12,219 Latino registered voters in Gwinnett County," said Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

"Understanding that we will be part of the American dream, and we will assimilate into the United States of America," said Miguel Cadelaria of the Hispanic Contractors Association.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talked about Latino voters during his recent Atlanta visit. State Republican leaders say, with Georgia now a battleground state, they plan a special outreach to a group who could tip the balance, if the vote is close enough.

"Every voter counts," said Ben Fry of the Georgia Republican Party. "And that's why we're going to reach out to every single voter."