LATINO LEADERS REGISTER 126,277 LATINO VOTERS The Movimiento 10-12 Campaign targets young and newly naturalized voters in fourteen (14) states across America.

Los Angeles, CA. Movimiento, 10-12, an effort by four of the major Latino organizations in the country, announced today that it has registered a combined 126,277 Latino voters in 14 states, many in key battleground states. The nonpartisan effort, kicked off at the National Latino Congreso held in Los Angeles on July 17, 2008, focused on raising the number of Latino registered voters to 11.5 million (up from 9.3 million in 2004) and developing an effective strategy to increase the number of Latinos who cast a ballot in the 2008 national elections to 10 million.

“This is an historic moment for the Latino electorate,” said Antonio González, SVREP President. “We anticipate that Latinos will reach 12 million registrations and cast nearly 10 million votes in November, making certain that our community’s voices will make a difference in the critical upcoming elections. Latinos are concerned about the economy, want to see an end to the war in Iraq, and believe that access to health care, improved public education and legalization of undocumented immigrants are top tier issues.”

The 2008 Movimiento 10-12 partnership includes the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the United States; the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA); the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC); the Hispanic Federation, the premier Latino federation of community-based organizations in the Northeast U.S.; and Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP), the largest and oldest nonpartisan Latino political mobilization organization in the United States.

Movimiento 10-12 registered 126.277 Latino voters in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA and TX, including more than 25,000 in Florida; nearly 8,000 in New Mexico; 5,125 in Arizona and 4,437 in Colorado.

“Increasing the number of registered voters is key to Latinos determining their own destiny,” stated Rosa Rosales, LULAC President. “The voter registration effort is paramount to our on-going effort to protect and defend the civil rights of the Latino community. The Latino electorate understands that its vote brings representation and resources to neighborhoods and communities that have historically been underrepresented and underserved.”

“These elections are far too important not to have our community participate as full and equal partners. We are proud to be part of this coalition that is helping increase – vote by vote – our voice across the nation,”stated Lillian Rodríguez López, Hispanic Federation President.

Community Based Projects The structure of the steering committees consists of committee leaders, paid coordinators and volunteers. The volunteers, led by paid coordinators, target places of commerce, colleges and universities, high schools, technical and vocational institutions, sports events and gatherings where large numbers of Latinos and other potential voters get together.

“With the Latino electorate participating in the numbers we anticipate, the Latino vote will be able to speak in its first 100 days to the next Presidential Administration and congressional leaders about passing and signing an immigration bill that is fair and just,” affirms Nativo Lopez, MAPA president.

“Latinos are well aware that the next president and congress will shape national and international policies that affect immigration reform, international development and border issues. These and other issues will move Latinos around the country to vote,” concluded Angela Sanbrano, President, NALACC.

About the Movimiento 10-12 partners Movimiento 10-12 a national effort of five major national Latino nonpartisan organizations to raise Latino electoral participation to 12 million registered voters and 10 million votes cast in the 2004 national elections. The Movimiento 10-12 campaign follows the successful national Latino coalitions in 2004 (Latino Vote 10-4), 2000 (Latino Vote 2000), and the 1996 (Latino Vote USA). The 2008 partnership includes:

SVREP, a national, nonpartisan organization committed solely to the political empowerment of Latino and other minority communities. SVREP was established in 1974 by the late Willie Velásquez to encourage civic and political participation in Latino and other underrepresented communities. Since its inception, SVREP had registered over 2.3 million Latino voters. SVREP trained over 100,000 Latino leaders, won 80 lawsuits and has office in San Antonio, Los Angeles, CA, Miami, Florida, Alberqueque, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Hispanic Federation, a service-oriented membership organization that works with 100 Latino health and human service agencies to promote the social, political and economic well-being of the Latino community. Its annual civic participation campaigns aim to significantly increase Hispanic voter registration and turnout for the primary and general elections through a multimedia campaign that encompasses grassroots, print and broadcast outreach.

LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic Organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups.

MAPA, a membership organization, works to protect and defend the civil rights of the Latino community, particularly immigrant families.

NALACC is a network of approximately 75 community-based organizations led by Latin American and Caribbean immigrants. NALACC member organizations are working to improve quality of life in their communities, both in the United States and in countries of origin. NALACC seeks to build transnational leadership capacity and increase immigrant civic participation, so that immigrants can advocate effectively for public policies that address the root causes of migration, as well as addressing the challenges faced by immigrants in the United States. To date, this latter work has focused on efforts to reform US immigration policies to make them more humane and effective.”

Contact: Lillian Lopez-Rodriguez, Hispanic Federation, (212) 233-8955
Antonio González, SVREP,  (323)343-9299
Lizette Olmos, LULAC, (202) 365-4553
Nativo Lopez, MAPA, (323) 269-1575
Angela Sanbrano, NALACC (323) 371-7305

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