New Poll: Obama Has 70 Percent of Support Among Latino Voters

The president leads Mitt Romney by almost 3 to 1 margin among key voting bloc

President Barack Obama holds a significant lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney among likely Latino voters, according to a Tuesday CNN/ORC International survey.

Obama's 70 percent showing among one of the key voting blocs this election year is slightly higher than the 67 percent of Latinos who voted for him in 2008. The then-Republican nominee, John McCain, received 31 percent of the Latino vote.

In Tuesday's poll, Obama's current challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, received support from 26 percent of Latino voters questioned, still a stark contrast from his support among African American voters which a recent poll found to be statistically none, with 0 percent in support. 

[ALSO READ: Romney Struggles to Explain Weak Polling]

Obama's latest poll numbers also showed a significant improvement in his approval rating among Latinos since 2010. Two years ago, the president only commanded a 57 percent approval rating. It was 68 percent in Tuesday's poll.

However, Obama's strong numbers among Latinos may not be as beneficial as he would like. Voter turnout may be the key. A Pew Hispanic Center report released Monday indicated a record 23.7 million Latinos are eligible to vote November 6, but that the turnout rate for the group in 2008, 50 percent, was noticeably lower than that of black voters (65 percent) and white voters (66 percent).

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