According to the Secretary of the State, there are more than 176,000 Hispanic voters in Connecticut and, perhaps no surprise, they are, by and large, Democrats.

Denise Merrill sent out a release Tuesday detailing Hispanic voter registration -- 9 percent of all voters, and 7,500 more than in 2011. The cities with the highest number of voters of Hispanic origin are, in order, Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven.

Of those 176,000 Hispanic voters, 90,012 are registered as Democrats, while 71,488 are registered as unaffiliated voters, and 14,449 are registered Republicans, Merrill said.

“These numbers clearly show us that Connecticut is becoming more diverse every day, and nearly one in ten citizens registered to vote in our state is Hispanic American,” Merrill said. “I think those of us in public service should learn very quickly that it would be wise to listen to the voices of our Hispanic voters in Connecticut.  At the same time, we also know that a significant gap exists between our Hispanic citizens who are registered to vote and those who actually cast ballots.  This is a gap I am committed to closing by making our elections more accessible to all voters in Connecticut, and I will continue to reach out to all communities in our state with the message of why it is important to vote.”

But the news from Merrill wasn’t all good: According to her release, the Secretary of the State’s 2011 Civic Health Index Report found that although 46 percent of Hispanic citizens in Connecticut are registered to vote, just 23 percent actually cast ballots.

Werner Oyanadel, acting executive director of the Connecticut Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, said, “I am delighted to learn that the majority of Hispanic U.S. Citizens that are within the voting age in our state are registered to vote.  I remain confident that more than half of the Hispanic registered voters in Connecticut will exercise their right to vote in the next elections and in turn help our community increase our voice for equal rights in the halls of power.”

Secretary Merrill estimates that party affiliation for registered Hispanic voters in Connecticut is as follows:

Party	Count
Concerned Citizens	40
Connecticut for Lieberman	7
Democratic	90,012
Green	76
Independence	64
Independent	519
Libertarian	40
Republican	14,449
Realistic Balance	2
Reform	8
Unaffiliated	71,488
Working Families	21
We the People	9
TOTAL	176,735

The 20 municipalities in Connecticut with the highest estimated number of registered Hispanic voters in Connecticut are, listed in descending order:

Bridgeport	25,519
Hartford	24,911
Waterbury	15,072
New Haven	12,541
New Britain	10,139
Meriden	6,365
East Hartford	4,799
Stamford	4,728
Norwalk	4,596
Danbury	3,696
Willimantic/Windham	3,053
West Haven	2,720
Stratford	2,687
Manchester	2,413
New London	2,355
West Hartford	2,227
Bristol	1,947
Middletown	1,416
Naugatuck	1,371
Windsor	1,337