2016 US Presidential election
2016 US Presidential electionIStock

According to reports from The New York Times and CBS News, the rate of Hispanics voting early in this election dramatically increased over previous years, a fact Hillary Clinton had banked on to improve her chances of winning.

In Florida, for example, the percentage of Hispanics voting early was 15 percent, compared to 12 percent in the last election. Heavy turnout for the first time by Hispanic and African American voters were largely credited with President Obama’s victory in 2012.

The early voting numbers are significant because of the big surge in participation in early voting in those states that offer that option. In Florida, for instance, more than 6.4 million voters voted early, equal to 75 percent of the total voter turnout in 2012.

The early voting numbers for Hispanics are expected to be an indication of a similar surge in their general participation in the election. In the last election, over 70 percent of Hispanics voted for Obama, and early exit polls data indicates that Clinton will enjoy a similar lead in this election. Both Obama and Hilton were seen as encouraging Hispanic entry to the US and allocating funds to aid them.

The apparent surge in Hispanic voting, however, was not enough to give Clinton a majority in the key state of Florida, where Trump narrowly beat Clinton by less than two percentage points, but it may have been enough in Nevada, another key swing state, where Clinton won by are narrow margin.