Elections

Analysts say President Barack Obama owes a big thank you to Latino voters, who many say made up a big chuck of his Florida win. That comes as a surprise to pollsters who predicted a Romney win. But for grass roots organizers in Florida, it wasn’t a surprise at all.

“I believe that we are the determining factor in the presidential election.” Says Julsea Arsen with the voter advocacy group Mi Familia Vota. She says the Latino population has grown dramatically throughout Central Florida. And she believes the group’s outreach in that area paid off big.

Going against many pollsters’ predictions, it looks like President Obama has won the state of Florida, pending final confirmation. Political analysts say, Obama’s victory highlights the importance of last-minute campaigning and the danger of campaigns’ relying on outdated demographic information.

For much of election night, it looked like Florida, the perennial toss-up state, was headed for a mandatory recount, as Obama and Mitt Romney’s vote tallies were less than one-half of 1 percent apart.