FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 573-7329
cgallardo@nclr.org
With most voter rolls closed, efforts now turn to mobilizing Hispanics to the polls
WASHINGTON, D.C.—With most of the nation’s voter rolls closed for this election cycle, NCLR’s (National Council of La Raza) Mobilize to Vote (M2V) campaign is announcing the culmination of its voter registration efforts and the launch of an aggressive Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) campaign—a national, multi-platform effort to drive Latinos to the polls in November. Through its 2012 campaign, M2V registered over 90,000 new Latino voters in states across the nation, with its largest registration numbers coming from the important swing state of Florida, where NCLR registered over 54,000 new voters despite contending with tough state-imposed restrictions early on in the registration campaign.
“We are extremely proud that over 90,000 new Latino voices have an opportunity to participate in this election and take a stand for their community because of our campaign’s efforts; increasing the number of eligible Americans who participate strengthens our democracy and our nation’s electoral system,” said Clarissa Martínez-De-Castro, NCLR Director of Civic Engagement and Immigration.
M2V’s field operations launched in March, with canvassing operations in Florida, Nevada, Colorado and Pennsylvania, and community partner programs in California, Idaho, New York, North Carolina and Texas, where NCLR’s network of Affiliate groups helped register new Latino voters in the communities where they operate. NCLR’s voter registration efforts represent the largest of any national Hispanic organization.
M2V’s GOTV campaign will now focus efforts on rallying Latinos to the polls and ensuring potential voters are informed about the ability to vote early or vote by mail in the states that allow voters to cast ballots prior to Election Day.
“We want to make sure that Latino voices are heard in November and that their influence is felt at the local and national level—on Election Day and beyond,” continued Martínez-de-Castro. “It’s important that these voters are informed about their rights, so our efforts include empowering Latinos with the information they need to exercise their vote confidently come Election Day.”
M2V’s mobile platform, which will provide up-to-date information and reminders, has 20,000 current users, and new users can join by texting the word POWER or PODER to 62571. NCLR has also partnered with celebrity supporters such as Taboo from the Grammy-winning pop group The Black Eyed Peas, who recorded a public service announcement urging young Latino voters to get involved. To view Taboo’s PSA, click here.
To learn more about our efforts to engage Latino voters, please contact Camila Gallardo, NCLR Senior Communications Manager, at cgallardo@nclr.org or (305) 573-7329/(305) 215-4259.
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