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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
November 3, 2014 Camila Gallardo
cgallardo@nclr.org
(305) 215-4259
WASHINGTON, D.C.—One day away from the midterm elections, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) is urging all eligible Latino voters to exercise their right to vote in this, and every future, election. NCLR is conducting nonpartisan get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts touching more than 300,000 eligible Latino voters in 10 states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and Texas.
“Our message to Latino voters is simple: Our community needs our vote. We have to continue growing our political power so our community’s aspirations are taken into account and our contributions to our country are respected,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “Voting is a civic duty and an important tool. We have to show politicians that Latino voters are a force to be reckoned with in every election.”
In 2012, Latino voters represented 10 percent of the electorate and proved to be a decisive factor in electoral outcomes across the nation. The number of Latinos registered and voting has more than doubled in the last 20 years and is expected to grow by nearly 18 percent in 2014, compared with the last midterm election. This double-digit growth will continue over the next decade at least, and is occurring not only in states traditionally associated with Latino populations, but nationwide. Between 2000 and 2010, Midwest states experienced the highest growth rate in Hispanic citizen voting-age population, followed by the North East, the South and the West. In addition to Latinos already eligible to register to vote, an average of 900,000 Hispanic U.S.-born citizens will turn 18 and become eligible to vote every year between now and 2028. For example, the number of registered Hispanic voters in Georgia grew from 26,000 in 2000 to 140,000 in 2012, a 438 percent increase. Latinos currently represent 4 percent of the eligible electorate in that state, while current polling averages show that less than 1 percent separates the Senate candidates.
NCLR’s nonpartisan GOTV activities include direct mail, phone calls, door-to-door canvassing and radio.
Although these numbers suggest that candidates should reach out to Latino voters, polling shows that party outreach to Hispanic voters, whether by Democrats or Republicans, has been lackluster. The same polling indicates that many Hispanics are casting their vote to support their community rather than a candidate.
If you are interested in setting up an interview with an NCLR expert on voting and elections, please contact Camila Gallardo at cgallardo@nclr.org or (305) 215-4259.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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