The symbolic exclusion of the latino vote in Spain: the election campaigns of the PP and PSOE

Abstract

This study examines electoral communication aimed at capturing and mobilizing the Latino vote in the last five general elections held in Spain. The analysis is limited to the official campaign periods for the Congress of Deputies and the Senate between 2015 and 2023, and focuses on the two major parties. The symbolic inclusion or exclusion of the Latino electorate is evaluated based on a content analysis of 11,389 pieces of communication disseminated by the PP and the PSOE. The results reveal a paradox: despite the growing sophistication of partisan segmentation strategies, the Latino vote remains systematically absent or relegated to marginal mentions. Only two direct appeals to this electorate are identified, in 2016 and 2023, both of which were of little centrality and dissemination. The study concludes that the Latino vote in Spain has been scarcely addressed and has experienced a symbolic exclusion that not only limits its capacity for political representation but also weakens its integration and the quality of democratic inclusion.