According to a new analysis by Latino Decisions, a Hispanic political research organization, the 2014 midterm elections — when Republicans took control of the Senate — saw generally low voter turnout. But among Latino registered voters, it was even lower.

For instance, the research notes that Hispanic voter turnout in Florida was only 36.5 percent compared with 50.5 percent overall voter turnout statewide.

“In 2014, there was a significant decline in Latino turnout in Florida,” wrote Matt A. Barreto, the co-founder of the polling and research firm, in a summary. “In fact, if Latino turnout rate had been equivalent to the statewide average — as it was in 2010 — an additional 276,000 Latino votes would have been cast. Given the Florida governor’s election was decided by just 64,000 votes, those additional 276,000 Latino votes could have proved critical.”

Of course, Hispanics weren’t the only ones who stayed home for the 2014 midterms. Estimates by the United States Election Project pegged national eligible voter turnout at about 37 percent, the lowest level for a midterm since 1942.

And, at any rate, the analysts don’t blame the Republican tide solely on low voter turnout. The New York Times’ “The Upshot” columnist Nate Cohn noted: “There is no question that turnout among core Democratic groups was lower in 2014 than it was in 2012 or even 2010. Many Democrats would have won if turnout had resembled a presidential election year. But Democrats also lost in states where turnout surpassed 2010, according to an Upshot analysis of preliminary returns and voter turnout data.”

But still using the Florida example, in a contest where so many issues of special importance to Hispanics were at play — candidates’ positions on climate change, minimum-wage proposals, Cuba policy and in-state tuition for unlawfully present immigrants — in such a close race, you’d think that eligible Latino voters would be clamoring to get to the polls.

Low Hispanic voter turnout is not a total mystery, however. In addition to the general sense of futility, disgust with political pandering, and frustration with a process that seems to turn on big money that keeps many other citizens from registering to vote or getting to the polls, Hispanics have their culture to overcome.

Maria Teresa Kumar, the president and CEO of Voto Latino, a nonpartisan organization that promotes Hispanic political participation, recently told the Latin Post that while African-Americans and whites have a history of voting, participation and facing exclusion, Latinos don’t have a habit to propel them. Because most of the country’s Latinos are first-generation American, with a median age of 27, Kumar said, they may be the first in the family to participate at the polls.

Kumar noted that many first-generation U.S. Latinos might live in a house or school where no one talks about politics and they probably have to work twice as hard to be politically engaged — or simply believe “Well, politics just isn’t for me.”

Anyone who works closely with young adults knows that the biggest determinant of their civic participation is whether the parents are politically involved — either by simply talking about issues, politics or elections or by participating in other activities like attending meetings or actually voting.

Time, and the steady work of civic-minded advocacy organizations such as Voto Latino, will continue to ingrain the importance of voting into Hispanic community members. Pair that with the continued increase of Hispanic adults who are both graduates of American schooling and children of such grads and you have sunnier days to come in terms of Hispanic civic engagement.

For now, though, it’s all about the candidates.

Barreto put it beautifully: “Rather than blame Latino voters — Why was your turnout so low? Don’t you care who wins? — we should think about how well the candidates for office in 2014 did or did not make their case to Latino voters. Few Americans will rush to the polling booth if they don’t think the candidates care about their community or issues important to them. Or if they don’t see much differentiation between the two options.”

This is a valuable message for all candidates: Hispanics, like any other voters, want serious consideration, without attacks or pandering. It’s not too much to ask, and the payoff will be well worth it.

Esther J. Cepeda writes for the Washington Post Writers Group, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Send email to estherjcepeda@washpost.com.