¡Todos a Votar! celebrates National Voter Registration Day to raise number of registered Latinos
WASHINGTON, DC –(ENEWSPF)–September 25, 2012. With Latinos poised to make election history in November, mayors in key Latino vote states are issuing proclamations declaring September as Latino Voter Registration Month.
The proclamations coincide with today’s designation as National Voter Registration Day, a public education campaign by Latino advocacy groups, including participants of ¡Todos a Votar! (Let’s Vote), and organizations representing workers and all communities of color. Events are being held today online and in communities across the U.S. to remind eligible voters to register and vote on Nov. 6.
As part of the national initiative to encourage broad civic engagement among the growing Latino population, mayors in Arizona, California, Texas and other cities with strong Latino representation are demonstrating their commitment to the electorate and working with local groups to register an unprecedented number of new Latino voters. A record 12 million Latinos are expected to vote in November.
In Arizona, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild have signed proclamations urging Latinos to register to vote.
In California, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, SEIU United Service Workers West President Mike Garcia and community leaders will unveil Latino voter mobilization efforts tomorrow, and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson signed a proclamation declaring September as National Hispanic Voter Registration Month.
In Texas, Mayor Annise Parker of Houston and Mayor Mike Rawlings of Dallas signed proclamations.
Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix metropolitan areas represent 28.5 million Hispanics, more than half of the Hispanic population of 50.5 million in the U.S.
“The right to vote is one of the most central and significant rights of any citizen in a democratic society, and truly representative government can only be achieved by elections that reflect the will of all qualified voters, including Latinos. That is why I believe it is important that we support efforts and initiatives like those proclaimed today by Dallas Mayor Rawlings at Dallas City Hall today,” said Texas State Representative Roberto R. Alonzo who was among the local dignitaries at the Dallas City Hall during the mayoral proclamation.
In Houston, the mayor’s proclamation was joined by the Houston Independent School District (HSID), Mi Familia Vota, and other nonprofit organizations’ launch of Ya Es Hora (It is Time). The collaborative program aims to register 4,000 eligible students. In support of these efforts, the mayoral proclamation also states that the city “supports Hispanic Voter Registration efforts and urges residents to learn about and enthusiastically participate in the electoral process and to take action by registering to vote.”
“In one of the most of important elections in our history where key issues, such as affordable healthcare, immigration reform, quality education and good jobs, are at stake, it is imperative that the voices of all workers be heard,” stated SEIU’s Eliseo Medina. “The Latino community in particular must make its numbers visible and loud. We are not just an emerging population, we are a significant portion of the electorate with the power to influence America’s choice.”
Additional mayoral proclamations are expected to be issued in the coming days. For more information about the National Voter Registration Day events, visit: http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org.
Information on ¡Todos A Votar! (Let’s Vote!) can be found on Facebook here.
Source: seiu.org
