Why are White Hispanics labeled as White in Exit Polls?

[hopper]

I was looking at an NYT Exit Poll from the 2012 Presidential Election out of California. The Electorate Breakdown was something like this: 55% White, 22% Hispanic, and 11% Asian. I was like that's impossible since I saw from the 2014 Census Figures that California was 37%-39 White Non-Hispanic, 38% Hispanic, and 14% Asian.  So if I added the 16% of the White Vote to the Hispanic Demographic I get the 38% number that is in the 2014 Census Numbers. If I minus the 16% of the White Vote Demographic I get near California's 2014 Census Numbers of the White Population(Non-Hispanic) in the upper 30% number. So why are White-Hispanics labeled as White in exit polls? To me its just misleading.

I should mention in the 2014 Census Figures from "USA Quickfacts" that the percentage of people in California identifying as "White or in Combination" went from 57-58% to 72% from 2010 to 2014.  That's a drastic change in just 4 years.  The nation average went from 72% to 77% from 2010 to 2014.

[hopper]

Also, many Hispanics in California are either under 18 or not citizens. That pushes their vote percentages down quite a bit.

Exactly. Many Hispanics don't bother with the electoral process. Of course now we got Donald Trump.....

Most Hispanics vote in the Dem Primary because they are Democrats not in the Republican Primary because they are not generally Republicans.

[hopper]

Also, many Hispanics in California are either under 18 or not citizens. That pushes their vote percentages down quite a bit.

Still? Hispanics have been in California for decades. Sure some are not citizens I will give you that.

[hopper]

Also, many Hispanics in California are either under 18 or not citizens. That pushes their vote percentages down quite a bit.

Still? Hispanics have been in California for decades. Sure some are not citizens I will give you that.

They're the youngest group in the country and California is one of the youngest states.

I think I read that the average age of a U.S.-born hispanic is 18-19.

When I think of young people in CA I think of Asians for some reason and not Hispanics.

[hopper]

So I guess I should expect the Non-Hispanic White Electorate to continue to go down from the 55% number in 2012 in the next few decades because of younger Latino's entering the California Electorate when they turn 18 every Presidential cycle.