Latino voters are upset about the cost of living and immigration enforcement operations, according to polls and interviews.Whether they actually show up to vote in November — and in what numbers — is another question.
Getting Latinos to the polls next month is a central push of two of the largest Latino advocacy organizations in the country, the Voto Latino Foundation and the Hispanic Federation, according to plans first shared with NBC News.This week, the groups are launching a six-figure get-out-the-vote operation that specifically targets Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, where they estimate that nearly 316,000 Latinos who could vote did not participate in the 2024 election.In 2024, Latino voters in the Valley made history when a majority backed Donald Trump.
Since then, many key figures have come out opposing Trump’s policies, including his economic plans and how the administration is carrying out deportations.In addition to those who sat out in 2024, the advocacy groups say nearly 500,000 Texas Latinos have turned 18 in the last two years and are now eligible to vote.
On Saturday, the groups will host a community town hall in Edinburg called “Juntos en el 956,” where organizers will assist residents with making plans to vote and answer questions.Claudia Lopez, a social media personality in the Rio Grande Valley who focuses on South Texas politics, will moderate the town hall.
Another televised town hall will follow in cooperation with Telemundo, and an end-of-the-month rally to promote voter turnout is in the works.Frankie Miranda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, said he believes educating Latinos about their voting rights and hearing their concerns is central to improving turnout.
“When we do this right, we are going to see a correlation in the participation of Latinos on Election Day,” Miranda said.Talking to voters, he said, the group will encourage people to vote early and, for those already registered to vote, to check ahead of t...