Focus on Voter Mobilization

1
Focus on Voter Mobilization

• Líderes Congreso
• March 5, 2008

2
Latino Voting Facts

• Latino youth (age 18-24) represent 13.2 of
  entire Latino electorate in 2004
• Latino naturalized citizens exhibit higher voting
  rates than their native-born counterparts.
• Latinos are a growing proportion of the U.S.
  electorate, and their registration and voting
  rates are growing at a faster rate than those of
  other racial/ethnic groups.
• In 2004, nearly 1.7 million of the eligible three
  million Latino youth (age 18-24) were
  unregistered.
• Multiple polls show that Latinos consistently
  list education, the economy/jobs, and sometimes
  health care at the top of their issue agendas,
  with immigration typically ranked lower than
  these other issues.
• With two out of five Latino citizens not
  registered to vote in 2004 (6.8 million), voter
  registration remains a key component of any
  Latino electorate expansion strategy.

3
Latino Population by Voting Age and Voting
Eligibility
41
34
25
Source U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American
Community Survey, Table B05003I, Sex by Age by
Citizenship Status (Hispanic or Latino).
Available online at http//factfinder.census.gov/
servlet/ DTTable?_bmy-geo_id01000US-ds_nameAC
S_2004_EST_G00_-_langen-mt_nameACS_2004_EST_G2
000_B05003I-format-CONTEXTdt. Accessed
February 4, 2007.
4
Reported Registration and Voting of Latinos 18-24
years old (2000-2004)
Source U.S. Census Bureau, Voting and
Registration in the Election of November 1990,
1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004,
Current Population Survey, Table 4a. Available
online at http//www.census.gov/population/www/so
cdemo/voting.html. Accessed January 24, 2007.
5
NCLR Observations

• Strong evidence that Latinos judge candidates by
  their records and issue positions, not party
  affiliation alone
• Opportunities exist for party realignment and
  shifts in voting patterns
• Substantial room for increasing Latino
  participation which can be achieved with greater
  and more strategic investments.

6
Voting Mobilization Strategies

• In its 2006 poll of Latino registered voters, 16
  of whom were new registrants, NCLR found three
  main voter registration vehicles used by voters
• 19 Department of Motor Vehicles (youth)
• 16 Mail-in Systems
• 12 Community Registration Drives (Spanish
  preference)

7
Campus-based Model Targeting Young Latino Voters

• Only reaches some (13 of young Latinos reported
  registering on campus, tied with registering by
  mail), but it misses the mark with most Latinos
  and those students attending 2-year institutions

8
New and Promising Strategies

• Mailing registration forms to youth on their 18th
  birthday
• Partnerships with school districts to register
  eligible students before they graduate from high
  school
• Community-based drives

9
Voter Registration Basics

• DO
• Conduct nonpartisan voter registration drives
• Educate people about their right to vote and how
  to exercise it
• Conduct nonpartisan voter education activities

• DO NOT
• Tell people who to vote for
• Tell people which party to register with
• Endorse any candidate for office
• Make evaluations of candidates positions
• Coordinate activities with a campaign
• Use language that could be interpreted as support
  for or opposition to candidates
• Publicize the views, personalities, or activities
  of candidates

10
Creating Your Voter Registration Pitch

• Introduction
• Identify Problem (for attention)
• Identify Solution
• Action

• Tips
• Think about the problem you will present ahead of
  time.
• What is a major issue/hot topic on your campus
  and/or in your local community?
• Use that issue to shape your voter registration
  pitch.
• There will be a certain percentage of people who
  will refuse to register for one reason or
  another.
• Do not spend time arguing with someone who is not
  interested in registering move on to the next
  person and try to connect with his/her issues.

11
Action Steps

• Participate in DALE!
• Coordinate a voter registration drive in your
  community
• Participate in a drive
• Expand your sphere of influence and register
  eligible voters
• Share your efforts with NCLR

12
Action Steps NCLR Resources

• Participating Campus Tool Kit Nonpartisan Voter
  Registration Guide
• www.nclr.org/content/publications/detail/48439/
• The Latino Electorate Profile and Trends
• www.nclr.org/content/publications/detail/46271/
• Lideres Network
• http//lideres.nclr.org