Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Nonprofit Organizations Focus New Voter Registration Efforts on Latinos

Nonprofit coalitions and groups around the nation are working to register new voters for the 2012 election, with a strong emphasis on boosting Latino voter registration.

Organizations such as the League of Women Voters and Common Cause in New Mexico, and Voto Latino and the Voter Participation Center in Arizona, are working to get people signed up before the October 9 deadline to participate in the November 6 election.

“What we are trying to do is sort of bring democracy to people,” says Page Gardner, President and Founder the Voter Participation Center in Washington, D.C.

Other organizations are offering new alternatives for outreach, such as digital and online services for potential voters.

Stephen A. Nuño, Assistant Professor of American politics and Latino politics at Northern Arizona University, says reaching out to register Latino voters is effective because many aren’t connected with the political process.

“Ironically, the rhetoric around, say, SB 1070 is actually encouraging Latinos to come out and participate,” says Nuño.

Santa Fe Associated Press

Tucson Sentinel