For the last week, numerous articles have come out detailing the possible impact that Latino Millennials could have on the 2016 Presidential Election. Millennials will comprise the greatest portion of eligible Latinos voters in 2016, but many have already predicted that our impact will be low, citing historically low voter turnout among millennials and Latinos alike.

If the Iowa Caucus is any indication of the kind of impact Latino Millennials could have in 2016, we’re squarely in line to prove to critics that we can and will make an impact!

The evidence:

Sanders polling numbers skyrocketed in 1 year.

Sanders polled at 6.7%, versus Clinton at 60.5% in February 2015. Fast-forward a year later, and Sanders was in a virtual tie with Clinton, who won by the “thinnest” of margins at the Iowa Caucus.

2. Sanders grew in large part because he won big with young voters in Iowa.

NYTimes 2 February 2016

3. Latinos in Iowa are young.

Of the 50,000 Latino voters that LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) identified in 2016, 60% were under 35 years old. This mirrors the national trend, where the number of eligible Latino voters throughout the U.S. is growing, largely because of the high percentage of Latinos turning 18.

4. Latinos in Iowa mobilized.

On February 1, 2016, LULAC announced that it had reached it’s goal of getting at least 10,000 Latinos to pledge to participate in the Iowa caucus. Latinos, the largest minority group in Iowa, have tripled their electorate power since 1990 to over 3% in 2016.

Iowa voter statistics, CNN 2016

5. With a tight race like Iowa, 3% can make a difference.

Hillary Clinton won the Iowa caucus by .03%, a neck-and-neck race that seemed unimaginable only a year ago.

3% is small, but it is greater than .03%, and in a race like Iowa, it is huge!

What does this mean?

The Sanders campaign won big because of young voters. Mirroring the national trend, Latino voters in Iowa are young (under 35 years old). They organized and undoubtedly helped to set the stage for the tight race between Sanders and Clinton. As Latinos and as millennials, we can and are making an impact.

The evidence is there. Vámonos!