Hispanic Federation is mobilizing Latino voters in NC. Its goal? A record turnout
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As midterm elections near, Latino organizations in North Carolina are mobilizing to activate the Latino vote around the state by launching a new and “aggressive” campaign.
The “La Voz de mi Gente” campaign seeks to “inform the community on the importance of voting while boosting voter registration among the Latino community throughout the state,” according to a news release from the Hispanic Federation.
The nonprofit announced the initiative in August during a Charlotte news conference held at Compare Foods on Arrowood Road. The popular market is a staple in the Queen City for the Hispanic and Latino communities.
Compare Foods joins several groups — the Latin American Coalition, Casa Azul de Wilson, the North Carolina Congress of Latino Organizations and National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund — who are partnering with the Hispanic Federation’s statewide voter registration crusade.
La Voz de Mi Gente will attempt to reach more than 1.1 million North Carolinians who identify as Latino or Hispanic. That’s nearly 10% of the state’s total population, according to 2020 census data.
Lariza Garzon, the director of North Carolina and Mid-South Operations of the Hispanic Federation, is confident that using partnerships and local organizations will help make the campaign more effective.
“Increasing Latino engagement starts with meeting communities where they are. (That means) talking to prospective voters in the language they speak and in the places they know and trust,” Garzon said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.
“To that end, we’ve partnered with trusted community organizations and businesses ... to register as many new Latino voters as possible ahead of the midterm elections.”
El Centro Hispano, a partner in the campaign, is a Hispanic-led organization based in North Carolina that advocates for equity and inclusion. The organization’s President and CEO, Pilar Rocha-Goldberg, joined the cause because she believes it’s important that all voices are heard at the polls in November.
“There is a lot at stake in these midterms elections, including key issues for our diverse community such as access to health care, jobs and inflation,” Rocha-Goldberg said in a statement. “For the more than 257,000 Latino and Hispanic voters in North Carolina, our votes are carrying not only our voices but our families and our community.”
U.S. census data shows that little more than 14% Charlotte’s population is Hispanic or Latino. Despite the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in Charlotte, by nearly 52% from 2010 to 2020, local and state governmental bodies still lack adequate representation, Garzon said.
“Our democracy only works when everyone has an equal opportunity to fully participate,” Garzon said. “When we work together, we can empower a growing group of voters to make their voices heard in our democracy, which strengthens our community and country.”
The Hispanic Federation hopes the voter mobilization efforts will begin to close gaps in local governments — a task that’s critical to the organization’s cause.
In 2020, the organization led a similar campaign across 43 states reaching more than 2.5 million Latino voters, as well as adding 26,000 new voters.
Hispanic Federation’s ultimate goal with its current campaign is to register a record number of Latino voters, Garzon said.
“It’s no secret that our community, despite our growing numbers, has been disproportionately impacted by attacks on civil rights, the pandemic, and inflation,” Garzon said in a news release. “With the help of our incredible partners, we aim to register a record number of Latino voters, and educate and empower a community that deserves to be included and represented at every level of government.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
