With less than a week until the presidential election, and allegations of voter suppression at an all-time high in swing states such as Colorado, Nevada, and Florida, Latino organizations have launched PSAs phone banking efforts, and canvassing efforts aimed at targeting Latinos.
Organizations like the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada have highlighted that voter suppression efforts seem prevalent in swing states that can determine the outcome of the election, reporting that during early voting, voters were asked to show identification, something that is not required by Nevada law.
Colorado recently made headlines for misleading Spanish-speaking voters on the correct day of the election, and Phoenix New Times reports that Colorado recently mailed early voters requesting that they verify their signatures within four business days of casting their ballot. Similarly, The Advancement Project confirms that Florida has sent eligible voters a letter questioning the validity of their citizenship.
“We’ve received multiple reports of a fraudulent letter that impersonates supervisors of elections and indicates that eligible voters might be ineligible,” says Chris Cate, spokesman for the St. Johns County Division of Elections. in Florida
Cuéntame, an organization dedicated to uniting voices and creating a powerful community, launched PSAs currently airing on major Spanish language channels like Univision, MundoFox, and Azteca America focused on combatting the suppression and reaching over 50,000 Latinos.
In efforts to combat voter suppression, phone banking and canvassing have proven extremely effective, according to Author Lisa García Bedolla. Through hundreds of field experiments, Bedolla has concluded that phone banking leads to double-digit effects with Latino turnout.
“In low-propensity Latino voting communities, this can have a significant impact on the shape of the electorate, often making the difference in terms of winners and losers. In other words, if you invite Latino voters to vote, they will, and they will make a difference,” says Bedolla.
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