Despite the fact that Latino politicians are just as likely to win elections as their white counterparts, the number of Latinos on ballots during election time are lacking. Political parties' inability to secure a sufficient number of Latino candidates disallows the possibility that Latinos will be placed in political office, according to a study released by Michigan State University.

Ignorance Is Bias: The Effect of Latino Losers on Models of Latino Representation is a study by Eric Gonzalez Juenke which analyzed 10,000 statehouse elections over a decade. Juenke found that Latino candidates only appeared on the ballot 5 percent of the time. The same is also said of African American candidates and other candidates of color.

Minority candidates run for legislative office in districts that have a high-percentage of minority supporters, but minorities are rarely candidates in predominately white districts, those seats reserved for white candidates. In 2000, more than 95 percent of black and Latino officeholders represented areas that were less than 25 percent white.

Many cite President Barack Obama as definite evidence that the American public has evolved beyond seeing race, however the research highlights that tolerance occurs at the ballot box rather than acceptance.

Research also showed that there was ethnic and racial bias when voters selected candidates, though party affiliations always outweigh ethnicity and race when white voters are selecting a candidate.

"Thus, the puzzle of minority underrepresentation in the United States shifts away from voters and moves instead toward the parties who are responsible for recruiting, training, and supporting minority candidates for office..." said Juenke, assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University. "We don't have to pack districts with minority voters in order to get minority representatives in legislatures. What we need to do is start running more minority candidates."

Minority politicians have grown in recent years, but their presence is no way as prevalent as white candidates. The distinct lack of diversity shows the prevalence of prejudice in party recruitment.