As Dr. Thelma Reyna pointed out in her post yesterday, the engagement of Latinos at the polls needs to change.
Although our voting numbers are increasing, we can continue to do better.
It is important to recognize where we’re doing well, and where we’re doing not so well.
Get this: Over one third of the increase in voter participation in the 2008 presidential elections (over the 2004 elections) came from Latinos. Click here to learn more.
Over 5 million MORE people voted in the 2008 elections than in those of 2004, and approximately 2 million of those voters were Hispanic. Wow!
However, in the South Atlantic states over 60% of Latinos over 18 in that region voted.
On the other hand, less than 38% of the West South Central U.S. Hispanics over 18 voted.
Why are our communities in certain regions of the U.S. voting, and others not? In those states where we have not traditionally seen a large population of Latinos, they are more active in voting.
However, the other large indicator for Latino voting is education. There is a positive correlation between education and voter turnout. Another good reason to encourage our young Latinos to get educated.
So, there’s lots for us to learn about voting – why we vote, who votes, where they are, and how we can encourage voting. See a recent Pew Hispanic report.
However, it’s important for us to remember that political participating is not dependent upon voting.
Even if you can’t vote (you’re under 18, you’re not a US citizen), you can still write letters to your representatives, go to community meetings – the water or school boards, city council, etc. – and more.
Today, with online petitions, for example, it’s relatively easy to let others know what you believe and encourage others to help you with making a change.
Always remember you can talk about the issues with those around you – sharing what your concerns and values are, and finding out more about what those around you want to see in their lives.
Part of why political participation is so important is that we are a YOUNG population. To the extent we encourage our youth to get involved, those who are turning 18 (more than 1 million per year!), we can change the course of this nation.
So… let’s figure out what we can do to encourage participation. Over the next couple of days, we’re going to have some profiles of Latinas across the country who have been involved in their communities in a variety of ways.
At the end of the day, it’s about having our voices heard.
How do you get involved? I’d love to hear what you do, and how you do it!