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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 1, 2020
CONTACT:
Fernanda Durand | (443) 396-3317 | fernanda@communicationsshop.us
CHICAGO – Two days after the first presidential debate in which voters got to see the candidates in action, Alianza Americas and U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL) urged the Latinx community to vote in the upcoming elections to make “Our Voice and Our Vote Count.”
With 32 million eligible Latinx voters up for grabs, the community will play a pivotal role in deciding which presidential candidate will be sworn in Jan. 2021.
“For too long, Latinos in America have been overlooked and invisible. During this pandemic, Latinos have been hit hard and are dying at some of the highest rates. It’s time we demand more from our government. For the first time in our nation’s history, Latino’s will be the largest racial or ethnic minority in a U.S. presidential election. This is our moment to make an impact,” said Congressman García, who participated in the teleconference on Thursday. “Every single vote counts and every vote is precious. When we vote, we give voice to those without the privilege of citizenship, including our DACA youth. It’s time for Latinos to make our power and presence known as a force to be reckoned with in American politics.”
“For the 2020 November elections, COPAL is securing pledges from 15,000 Latinxs across the state of Minnesota. Our motto is Sueña-Organiza-Vota, or Dream-Organize-Vote, reflecting three ways to participate in building our community’s power. We have already secured 13,000 pledges by engaging in phone banks and community events, and it is clear our community is energized to get involved in changing systems to serve us,” said Ryan Perez, program director for Environment and Democracy 2050, a project of Communities Organizing Latinx Power and Action (COPAL) in Minnesota.
Another teleconference participant, the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) is focusing its efforts on registering Black and Latinx voters across one of the most critical electoral states in the country in order to have a better representation of Florida’s diversity.
“Through phone banking, text banking, one-on-ones, forums, a trilingual website (FLIC.VOTE) and other engagements, we are empowering the state,” said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Organizer, FLIC . “We cannot and will not give up on Florida.”
Last month, Alianza Americas launched “Our Voice and Vote Count,” a campaign providing information and resources on the importance of voting to Latino communities throughout the United States. The campaign includes the dissemination of information on voting options, state requirements, key deadlines, and resources on the safety and benefits of voting by mail during a pandemic.
“We realized there was a need to provide reliable information from a trusted source in Spanish,” said Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas. “A lot of information about voting is available for English speakers, but not enough is available for Spanish speakers – so we are here to answer that call.”
Alianza Americas is collecting and distributing these resources in collaboration with its members nationwide. Learn more about the “Our Voice and Our Vote Count” campaign here.
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