AUSTIN, Texas - Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke needs a surge of Latino voters to go to the polls in order to pull off an improbable upset. 

  • Senate candidates targeting Texas Hispanic vote
  • Texas Hispanics have historically lower voter turnout
  • Focus is now on turning that statistic around 

While his Republican incumbent Ted Cruz says plenty of Latinos are already with him, the fact is, a large number of Hispanics typically don't show up to vote. The state's Hispanic population is on pace to outnumber whites as early as 2022, but only 15 percent of registered Hispanic Texans turned out to vote in 2016. 

Inside the Jolt office, an activist group working to mobilize young Latino voters, there are stacks of voter pledge cards. But historically speaking, only half of those represented on these cards will actually go to the polls. 

According to a new study by research group Ethnifacts, 46 percent of Latinos in Texas meet the age and citizenship requirement to vote.  Of that, only 31 percent are registered to vote and only 15 percent actually turned up to cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential election. 

Tess Ortega with Jolt says candidates aren't engaging with that population. 

"If we're not talking to these people then what reason do they have to vote?" said Ortega.  

Adryana Aldeen remembers being that young Hispanic in Texas.

"I came here to go to college a couple decades ago, and I came here from Mexico," Aldeen said.   

She gained citizenship in the early '90s and voted for Bush in her first election in 1992. Now, Aldeen is a consultant for the Republican Party in Texas. She believes she holds the values of the majority of Latinos.

"They want to know how they can keep most of their money in their pockets, and it's by electing Republicans," said Aldeen.  

Ortega disagrees, at least when it comes to the younger generation. 

According to a new study unveiled by Jolt, young Latinos cited health care and a pathway to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants as their top two priorities. But regardless of where they stand, both Aldeen and Ortega can agree that 15 percent turnout in their community isn't acceptable. Both are hoping that starts to turn around this November. 

"I think there's a lot of excitement coming out of this election. Hopefully we can continue to move forward and continue to build the infrastructures and be in the communities that are low represented," Ortega said.   

According to that same study, over the next decade more than 2 million Latino citizens will reach voting age. That will account for half of the state’s new age-eligible voters.