Why Vote

Your vote is your power.

Voting is the most effective way to make your voice heard on the issues that matter most to you. Don’t like the direction the country is headed in? Vote. Don’t feel like politicians are listening to you? They will if you vote. Want representatives that look like, are from your community, and share your values? It starts with voting.

Latinxs are a huge and growing voting bloc, and if we all come out to the polls to flex our power, there’s nothing to stop us from having a reflective, inclusive, and accountable government. It all starts with registering to vote.

32 million Latinxs will be eligible to vote in 2020.

3 million young Latinxs have turned 18 since 2014.

60% of Latinxs are 34 or younger.

12 million Latinxs voted in the 2018 midterm election.

Why vote?

Vote for your future. Worried about climate change? Thinking about how you’ll pay off your student loans? Hoping you’ll have health insurance when you need it? Vote for leaders that are committed to solving these problems for you and for future generations.
Vote for your community. Latinx communities tend to face particularly challenging issues: racial profiling by law enforcement, gentrification and housing affordability, unsafe workplaces, segregated public schools, immigration raids. These issues will only be addressed equitably when Latinx voices are at the table. That means turning out to vote, and supporting candidates that understand the community and the issues we all face.
Vote for those who can’t. Most of us know someone whose immigration status doesn’t allow them to vote. But they still deserve a voice in our government. If you are eligible to vote, vote for those who can’t but need leaders who care about them.
Vote for progress in this country. 2020 has been a hard year for many of us. Police brutality is an issue that threatens the livelihood of the Afro-Latinx community, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected our community, all because of poor leadership. Now more than ever, we need to elect officials who care about our health, safety, and well-being.
Because if you don’t, others will. Maybe you’re not that into politics but guess what? Your boss is. Your landlord is. Your insurance company is. And every day they’re using political power to keep your pay low, raise your rent, and deny you coverage. When you don’t vote, decisions will get made that affect you, but you won’t have a say.

But don’t take our word for it. Hear it straight from AOC:

It's as easy as 1-2-3

1. Check to see if you're registered

Check my registration

2. Register or update your registration

3. Register your friends and family

I vote for my voice and community as a whole can be heard. I believe that an important way to create change whether on a large or small scale is through policy and that is why it is important for me to vote and get others in my community like me to vote. Our voices need to be heard in order for change to happen. Miguel Cardona
Newark, New Jersey

Have you voted and then proceeded to scroll on Instagram after? If you have you are likely to have seen some variation of the “I Voted” sticker all over your feed. They may seem silly but it has been shown that they create a sense of community amongst people at the polls. The iconic flag waving design was created in 1987 by Janet Boudreau because she wanted to create more awareness for election day.

When people think of voting, they usually think of the actual act of heading to the polls and casting your ballot. But did you know that some states now vote entirely by mail? There are many advantages to this, the major one being that it is much more convenient for people who cannot physically make it to the polls or people who cannot take the time off. The states that conduct all elections through mail are Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

Have you ever stopped to think why elections are held on Tuesdays in November in America? If it seems arbitrary to you then you are correct. Americans vote on Tuesdays because in the 19th century most people were Christian farmers who needed time to make it to the polls on the bad roads. They couldn't set out on Sundays because would be in church and it had to be in November because the fall harvest was over by that point but the weather still allowed for travel.

The US lags behind almost all other developed countries when it comes to voter turnout. In the November 2016 general election only 136.8 million people voted. This puts the US at 55.7 percent voter turnout which is significantly lower than in other developed democratic countries. This is why voter registration is so important because everyone that can vote should vote!

Are your friends and family registered to vote?

Help them get registered