Democracia USA was responsible for registering 35% of all the new Hispanic voters in 2006
Democracia USA Launches 2008 Central Florida Hispanic Voter Project
Democracia USA, a national non-partisan Hispanic voter registration and civic engagement program with operations in five states, today announced the launch of its 2008 Central Florida operation. D-USA also released an exclusive study which details the growth and complexity of the Central Florida Hispanic electorate.
D-USA began operating in Central Florida in 2004 when it registered 72,000 new Hispanic voters in the state. The success of that effort led D-USA to expand its presence to an operation now consisting of a regional director, Roberto Cancel, and a field staff of 22 canvassers that have been registering new Hispanic voters by visiting homes, businesses, community centers and public events. So far this year, D-USA has registered 13,000 new voters in Central Florida
The study presented by Democracia USA and conducted by Bendixen and Associates point to overwhelming growth and changes in voter demographics. The highlights include:
- The Hispanic population in the Orlando media market quadrupled between 1990 -2008 from 136,00 to 650,000
- The Hispanic voting population in the Orlando media market also quadrupled between 1990 -2008 from 66,000 to 234,000
- Central Florida Hispanics show a acute tendency to vote for the candidate not the party, making it the most swing prone voting bloc in the nation, with their allegiances switching between Democrats and Republicans in every state and county election since 2000
- Independents account for 34% of the Hispanic electorate in Central Florida, ahead of registered Republicans (22%) and trailing registered Democrats (44%)
- Between 2000 – 2008 the Hispanic electorate in Central Florida doubled growing from 6 - 12% of the overall electorate
- Democracia USA was responsible for registering 35% of all the new Hispanic voters in 2006
- The demographics within the Hispanic population continue to shift, with South Americans increasing their percentage of the populace and Cubans and Mexicans slipping slightly
“Hispanics in Central Florida are clearly an engaged bloc of voters, coveted by both parties, who vote on issues and candidates, eschewing party lines,” stated Jorge Mursuli, President of Democracia USA. “Democracia USA is thrilled to launch a newly invigorated voter registration drive in Central Florida that will empower an even greater number of Hispanics who want their voice to be heard in November 2008.”
SVREP President’s Report #1 (2008): The Latino Voter Registration Surge in 2008
Introduction
Recent time-series data gathered by William C. Velasquez Institute’s (WCVI-http://www.wcvi.org/) Steven Ochoa, Vice President for Policy and Research from voter data services shows a recent surge of more than 500,000 net new Latino voters in California and Texas during the hotly contested Presidential primary process in the first half of 2008. Projected nationally (the two super states generally comprise 50% of all Latino voters nationwide) the California-Texas trend estimates that more than 1 million net new Latino voters have been added to the rolls as of July 1, 2008.
This 2008 surge appears to have counterbalanced recent findings by the long-awaited Census Bureau Current Population Survey on Registration and Voting for the 2006 elections that showed “no growth” in Latino voter registration across America for the first time since 1989-90 and only the third time since 1972.
These contradictory trends warrant further analysis. Following are our initial thoughts.
The Clinton-Obama Surge in 2008: Adds Estimated 1 million new Latino voters
The intensive competition for the Democratic Presidential nomination in numerous states where Latinos are concentrated appears to have driven up Latino registration at general election rates. The new primary election order, which put Latino-oriented states earlier in the process, significantly increased opportunities for mobilization.
After reviewing time series Spanish surname counts from Political Data, Voter Contact Service and the Texas Legislative Council, WCVI’s Ochoa finds a significant surge in Latino registration 2007-08 (538,633 or 10.5% growth) after virtually no growth in 2005-06 (56,564 or 1.1% growth) in California and Texas. Given that the two Latino-oriented super-states typically comprise 50% of all U.S. Latino voter registration, and similar hot primary elections in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Florida, Ochoa estimates that 1.077 million net new Latinos have been recently added to the roles nationwide, for a current national total of 10.4 million.
| State |
2004 WCVI - PDI , TX Leg Council |
2006 PDI , TX Leg Council |
Number Ch |
Diff 04-06 |
VCS, PDI – 7/1/08 |
Number Ch |
Diff in % since 2006 |
Estimated Growth in National LVR since 2006 |
Current National LVR Estimate |
| California |
2,778,551 |
2,763,975 |
(14,576) |
-0.5% |
2,987,275 |
223,300 |
8.1% |
||
| Texas |
2,274,125 |
2,345,265 |
71,140 |
3.1% |
2,660,628 |
315,363 |
13.4% |
||
| Total |
5,052,676 |
5,109,240 |
56,564 |
1.1% |
5,647,903 |
538,663 |
10.5% |
||
|
1,077,326 |
10,400,000 |
Interestingly, this surge was driven by campaign/partisan entities or self-registration, a phenomenon not seen among Latinos in a primary cycle since the Kennedy-Carter contest in 1980.
Explaining the “plateau” in 2005-06
The “Clinton-Obama” surge followed disappointing reports from the Census Bureau CPS report, in which Latino registration in 2006 slightly declined compared to 2004 (9.304 million nationwide in 2006 compared to 9.308 million in 2004). This “plateau” is the first seen since 1989-90, after 14 years of uninterrupted expansion. While the “plateau” appears to have been mitigated by the “Clinton-Obama” surge of the first half of 2008, it is important to understand why the “plateau” occurred.
Several factors explanatory factors include:
During 2003-06 state legislatures and ballot initiatives enacted laws in states like Florida , Ohio , New Mexico , and Arizona making it more difficult for citizens to register to vote. These laws were partly in reaction to perceived abuses by interest group related registration efforts (ACORN-Project Vote was repeatedly mentioned by lawmakers and complaining Secretaries of State), and partly a xenophobia-based effort to prevent alleged “illegal-alien fraud” (no proof of it existed!). These efforts were nonetheless mostly successful.
These laws cause voter registration groups to suspend activities and seek court-based remedies (court challenges failed to date). The end-results were fewer voter registration drives in the “restrictive law” states. Drives that were conducted were less fruitful and more expensive due to the new restrictions (particularly true for Florida and New Mexico ).
While the 1990’s saw speedy increases in new citizen voting among Latinos, permanent residents have experienced slow-downs in the pace of citizenship acquisition since 2002. The massive, Spanish-language media driven immigrant rights marches of 2006 and subsequent organizing efforts by immigrant rights groups (NALACC, Somos America , etc.) brought in hundreds of thousands of new applications for citizenship. However, federal authorities processed citizenship applicants slowly (due to Sept. 11 th era security precautions). Moreover, the “success” rate for applicants declined due to costs and new bureaucratic hurdles. By the deadline for registration in Oct. 2006, few applicants had been granted citizenship.
Finally, 2004-06 saw massive demographic churning with working middle class Latino citizens migrating within and/or out of California , Texas , Illinois , New York and New Jersey in search of affordable home-ownership opportunities. Housing reports during 2004-06 showed Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Orlando, Denver, Albuquerque, Austin, and Dallas were destinations for massive influxes of Midwesterners, Californians, and Northeasterners, among them hundreds of thousands of Latino registered voters. These new residents of fast-growth, cheap housing, sun-belt states slowly re-registered to vote, most of them not in time for the 2006 elections.
Final Stretch in Summer-fall: Register at Least 1 Million More Voters
Currently, various Latino organizations are positioning to conduct a massive wave of grassroots registration and turnout activities in key states. The most notable effort stems from SVREP-initiated coalitions that have built slowly through Presidential year partnerships every four years since 1996:
During 1996-2004, the coalition efforts registered around 100,000 voters for each Presidential election. In 2008 however, the various groups have taken goals of 200,000 to 300,000 new voters during summer and fall of 2008!
SVREP has already registered more than 25,000 voters in small-scale warm-up activities based on high schools, campuses, and in churches in California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Washington and New Mexico during the last period.
We are gearing up to register and turnout another 125,000-175,000 voters in 125 key communities in California, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington,Virgina and Oregon. A list of SVREP-target counties is attached.
Fundraising efforts are going apace with more some $3-4 million expected to be raised and spent.
The next big step will be the National Latino Congreso, a politics and policy convention on July 18-20 sponsored by literally hundreds of Latino Community-based organizations from across the country. This years congreso is dedicated to fundraising and mobilizing the Latino vote to maximize impact on needed policy changes in the incoming federal and state legislatures. For more information see http://www.latinocongreso.org/.
LULAC, HF, NALACC, LCLAA and HMLA are fundraising and preparing mobilizations in the SVREP-targeted states, as well as New York , New Jersey , Connecticut , Massachusetts , Pennsylvania , Virginia , Maryland , and Illinois . These nonpartisan activities will generate another 50,000 to 100,000 new Latino voters.
A well-organized and financed mobilization added together with results of non-Latino entities and self-registration by inspired citizens can add another 1-2 million Latino voters to the roles by November, assuming that competition among the parties and candidates continues to be hot at the Presidential, Senatorial, Congressional and local levels.
According to Census projections, some 7-8 million Latino adult citizens are unregistered. Hence, SVREP predicts that Latino registration will end up between 11.4 and 12.4 million by the November elections.
Census Bureau Results: Historic Trends Among Latinos 1972-2004
During 1972-2004 Latino voting was characterized by three different trends:
During 1972-76 Latino voter registration slightly declined from 2.495 million voters in 1972 to 2.494 million voters according to Census CPS reports. Causal factors included general disillusionment with politics due to issues like the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. Latino perceptions of electoral politics tended to see voting as an ineffective avenue for achieving representation and social change. During this era Latino leaders started forming organizations specifically intended to increase Latino voting (SVREP was founded in 1974).
During 1977-92 Latino voter registration reversed itself and became the fastest growing voter sub-group in the U.S. with an annual growth average of 165.2 thousand or 5% over the 16-year span, according to Census Bureau CPS reports.
| Year |
1976 |
1980 |
1984 |
1988 |
1992 |
16 year average growth % and N |
| % Latino registration growth per year |
4.9% |
6.8% |
5.1% |
3.1% |
5.0% |
|
| Latino registration in millions |
2494 |
2984 |
3794 |
4573 |
5137 |
165.2 |
A more detailed analysis of Latino growth patterns shows that 93.6% of growth occurred in the final two years of the four-year cycle. Registration growth was driven by voter mobilization efforts by Latino community-based groups like SVREP, MNVREP(founded 1981), Pacific-Northwest Organizing Project (founded 1987), Atrevete (founded 1986), and Industrial Areas Foundations in the 2-year Presidential cycle. Interest groups like political parties, candidates and unions (and their auxiliaries like ACORN-Project Vote and Center for Community Change) interested in growing the Latino vote began to activate as well.
| Off-years |
1977-78 |
1981-82 |
1985-86 |
1989-90 |
Total |
Ave 4-yr. Change in Thousands |
% of Total Latino Growth |
| Number Increase in thousands |
-261 |
107 |
453 |
-131 |
168 |
42.00 |
6.4% |
| Presidential cycle |
1979-80 |
1983-84 |
1987-88 |
1991-92 |
|||
| Number Increase in thousands |
751 |
703 |
326 |
695 |
2475 |
618.75 |
93.6% |
Interestingly, Latino perceptions of elections, particularly among the native-born, changed positively. Elections gained acceptance as a comparatively effective channel for achieving change. Latino representation in elective office skyrocketed from about 1300 in 1973 to about 3500 in 1992.
During 1993-2004, Latino voting continued to be the fastest growing subgroup in America with a 5.5% annual rate of growth (or 347.6 thousand net new Latino voters per year).
Again, a closer analysis of Census Bureau CPS surveys show more consistent Latino registration growth, spread throughout the 4-year periods. Contrary to earlier patterns Latino registration showed robust growth during “off-years” (418.67 thousand per 2-year cycle), as well as “presidential” cycles (971.67 thousand per 2-year cycle).
| Off-years |
1993-94 |
1997-98 |
2001-02 |
Total |
Ave Change in Thousands |
% of Growth |
| Number Increase in thousands |
336 |
270 |
650 |
1256 |
418.67 |
30.1% |
| Presidential cycle |
1995-96 |
1999-00 |
2003-04 |
|||
| Number Increase in thousands |
1100 |
703 |
1112 |
2915 |
971.67 |
69.9% |
Several factors explain this improved pattern:
Once again, Latino perceptions of the electoral process in this period were that they were a comparatively effective path to representation and change. For example, by 2004 Latinos in elective office grew to about 5,000 nationwide from 3,500 in 1992.
Surge in registration for Latino voters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Of the new Pennsylvania voters, nearly two-thirds live in Berks and Lehigh Counties and one-fifth live in Philadelphia, Democracia president Jorge Mursuli said at a news conference yesterday at the National Constitution Center.”*
South Florida Hispanics split evenly among Democrats, Republicans - new data from Democracia USA
Increasingly, non-Cuban Hispanics, young voters and independents dominate a region that was once a Cuban-American Republican stronghold.
Cuban moderates and Puerto Ricans, as well as South and Central American immigrants, are behind the change.”*
Telemundo, a leading producer of innovative and high-quality content for Hispanics worldwide, and mun2, the preeminent voice for Latino youth, announced today the launch of “Vota Por Tu Futuro” — “Vote 4 UR Future,” the networks’ national non- partisan Hispanic voter registration campaign. The campaign details were unveiled today at an event held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The mission of “Vota Por Tu Futuro” - “Vote 4 UR Future” is to increase the number of Hispanic voters by educating, registering and inspiring Hispanics to exercise their power and voice through voting in the upcoming 2008 presidential election. In a strategic approach to reach U.S. Hispanics, Telemundo and mun2 will embark in a first-ever media driven campaign to implement a multi-platform initiative through broadcast, cable and the Internet. Through its cable network, mun2, “Vote 4 UR Future” will focus on motivating and mobilizing young Latinos in the U.S., who constitute the fastest-growing segment within the Nation’s Hispanic community.
“As a leader in Hispanic media, Telemundo recognizes the importance and impact U.S. Hispanics including our Latino youth, play in this country and the great potential they have to influence the upcoming Presidential election,” said Don Browne, President, Telemundo. “Telemundo and mun2, along with our partners, are proud to be a part of empowering and mobilizing our community to play a decisive role in the political process.”
At today’s event, the network unveiled research findings on how political Spanish-language ads and Spanish media impact U.S. Hispanic voter trends. The study, conducted by Telemundo in major-Hispanic markets as well as key- political battlefields, such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami and Denver, tested a total of 600 Spanish dominant Hispanics. Highlights of the findings show that two-thirds (69%) of U.S. Hispanics 18-49 trust television as their ultimate media source for obtaining information on the presidential election. Further information shows that the majority of Spanish dominant Hispanics (70%) are in favor of the presidential candidates communicating with them in Spanish. Respondents also indicated they are more likely to register to vote upon seeing Spanish-language PSAs versus English-language PSAs. These results were more pronounced in major Hispanic markets namely New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Denver.
In support of the campaign, Telemundo and mun2 have partnered with leading organizations Rock the Vote, Democracia USA, the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute and League of United Latin American Citizens. The collaborative efforts of all involved will be implemented through a variety of local events including, town halls, open forums and online polling, among many others.
Campaign Highlights Include:
Telemundo’s PSA campaign features the network’s top news and sports talent including Pedro Sevcec, Maria Celeste Arraras, Maria Antonieta Collins, Jose Diaz-Balart, Mauricio Zeilic, Andres Cantor and Jessi Losada.
The network’s programs including Cada Dia, Al Rojo Vivo, Noticiero Telemundo, Primera Hora and Titulares Telemundo will all integrate voter registration information into their programs through celebrities, professional athletes and politicians.
mun2 will feature weekly integrations and in-show mentions of the voter registration campaign within its programs including Vivo, One Nation Under Hip Hop, The mun2 Shift and 18 & Over. The network will also air originally- created promos and vignettes featuring network talent Yasmin Deliz, Crash, Renato Lopez and Frankie Needles. In addition, mun2’s fully-interactive website and bicultural youth portal will include editorial posts on campaign- related issues that affect Latino youth and allow visitors to register to vote at www.holamun2.com/vote.
Telemundo owned and operated stations and affiliates will include “Vota Por Tu Futura” political reporting in local newscasts from September 2007- November 2008 as well as run PSAs featuring local news talent to complement the network campaign. Stations will also conduct local town hall meetings throughout 2008 leading up to the election. Each station will also provide information through its local website with links to Yahoo!Telemundo and its partners.
Yahoo! Telemundo will provide online support to the initiative through various efforts including conducting online polls on issues that are important to Latino voters, offering educational material on the democratic and registration process and providing links to partner sites. Visitors will be able to register at www.yahootelemundo.com/votaportufuturo
Telemundo, mun2 and its partners will coordinate various grass-roots marketing efforts through local consumer campaigns.
About Telemundo:
Telemundo, a U.S. Spanish-language television network, is the essential entertainment, news, and sports source for Hispanics. Broadcasting unique national and local programming for the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, Telemundo reaches 93% of U.S. Hispanic viewers in 142 markets through its 16 owned-and-operated stations, 36 broadcast affiliates, and nearly 700 cable affiliates. Telemundo is wholly owned by NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.
About mun2:
mun2 is the preeminent voice for Latino youth in America. Launched in 2001 as the first national cable network to offer bilingual programming for young U.S. Latinos, the multiplatform youth entertainment network offers authentic content that reflects the lifestyle of this fast-growing segment of the population with original, relevant and cutting-edge programs in proven genres including music, movies, sports, fashion, and social activism. The network, which reflects emerging trends in all areas of pop and youth culture that are endorsed by its bicultural audience, is available nationwide on digital and analog cable, and satellite and free television. mun2 is distributed to nearly 17 million U.S. TV households. The network is part of Telemundo Cable Networks, a division of NBC Universal Cable Networks.
About Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded in 1990 in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression, coordinates voter registration drives, get out the vote events, and voter education efforts — all with the intention of building political power for our nation’s youth and leveraging that political power to influence change in our country. Rock the Vote engages youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities. From actors to musicians, comedians to athletes, Rock the Vote harnesses cutting-edge trends make political participation cool. Our work doesn’t end when the polls close. We empower young people to create change in their communities and take action on the issues they care about.
About Democracia USA
Democracia U.S.A. (DUSA) is a national non-partisan Hispanic civic engagement program that seeks to increase the prominence and participation of Hispanics in the American democratic process through Empowerment, Leadership Training, and Civic Participation. DUSA also empowers Hispanics by increasing their participation in the electoral process and registering them as voters, educating them in a non-partisan way about important issues at stake and motivating them to vote on Election Day. Additionally, Democracia U.S.A. develops Hispanic leaders across America by teaching important leadership skills that they can use to champion causes and issues for the benefit of their respective communities. Finally, Democracia U.S.A. promotes greater civic participation by educating Hispanics about the American political process and encouraging them to participate within it as a means to improve their quality of life.
About U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute
Since 1982, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, USHLI has been cultivating Hispanic Leadership all across the country and has developed into one of the most powerful, nationally and internationally recognized Latino non-profit organizations in the country by organizing and conducting nonpartisan voter registration and leadership development programs in 40 states. USHLI has registered more than 2.1 million voters since its inception. USHLI has been able to maintain a stable presence in hundreds of communities over the years by promoting empowerment and civic responsibility. USHLI’s mission is to fulfill the promises and principles of democracy by empowering minorities and similarly disenfranchised groups and by maximizing civic awareness and participation in the electoral process.
About League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
The League of the United Latin American Citizens, the oldest and largest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.
V-me Has Major Presence at NCLR Annual Conference
“-V-me, the national television network partnered with public television, brings its positive message and smart, engaging entertainment for Latinos to the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) annual conference and Latino Expo USA 2007, taking place in Miami, Florida, July 21-24
As a major media sponsor of the event, V-me will broadcast its signature primetime show, Viva Voz, from the convention on July 23-25.
The programs will cover key conference issues including Health, Homeownership, Latinos in the Military, Citizenship, the Latino Vote, and the State of the Latino Community.
Viva Voz from the NCLR Conference will also present coverage of keynote speeches and thought-provoking conversations with national personalities. Some of the newsmakers and leaders featured in the Viva Voz coverage will include:
– Senator Hilary Clinton, 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidate (D-NY)
– Senator Barack Obama, 2008 Democratic Presidential Candidate (D-IL)
– Raul Yzaguirre, prominent Hispanic activist and founder NCLR
– Mayor Manny Diaz, City of Miami
– Janet Murguia, president, NCLR
– Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (D-FL)
– Jorge Mursuli, national executive director, Democracia USA
– Arturo Vargas, executive director, Nat’l Assoc. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
– Juan Carlos Zapata, Florida State Representative (R-District 119)
– Monica Lozano, publisher & CEO, La Opinion
– Juana Bordas, president, Latina Leadership
– Juan Flores, founder, Afro Latino Forum
– Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, PhD, associate professor, University of Texas
V-me’s event presence extends to the free public event, Latino Expo USA. At its booth (#636), V-me showcases its extensive educational pre-school lineup with appearances by Lunar Jim and Plaza Sesamo’s Cookie Monster. And V-me’s Vox Pop booth will let visitors speak out on select topics that will appear on www.v-me.tv.
“Everyday V-me engages Latino families with smart, positive entertainment, and provides a platform to support and showcase the interests and achievements of the national community. Our significant presence at the NCLR conference underscores our commitment to presenting various voices and participating in the discussion of issues at the heart of that community,” says Carmen DiRienzo, president V-me.
Held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, July 21 - 24, the NCLR annual conference is the largest gathering of its kind in the Hispanic community, serving as a meeting ground for more than 20,000 community leaders, activists, and volunteers.
V-me is presented locally by public TV stations in many cities as a digital broadcast and on basic cable; and nationally on DISH Network Ch 9414 and DISHLatino Ch 846. Check your local listings for more information.
About V-me
V-me is a new national network partnered with Public TV that entertains and educates America’s Latino families in Spanish with a lively mix of original and exclusive programs including: kids, lifestyle, nature, science, history, current affairs, music, arts, and nightly movies. The 24-hour digital broadcast network is presented by public television stations and carried on basic digital cable and satellite. V-me is the first venture announced by newly formed media production and distribution company, V-me Media Inc. To find out more visit www.v-me.tv “
Precinct 25 seen as Hispanics’ bellwether - Arizona
“Precinct 25 is a bellwether district for the Hispanic community, said Alonzo Morado of the Washington, D.C.-based Democracia USA, which sought to increase Latino turnout this election. The precinct’s voters are conservatives, liberals and moderates and match the larger Latino electorate, he said.
“That’s the beauty of the Latino vote,” Morado said. “You have people in the labor movement and in unions. People who are very close to the church. It’s a cross section of everything.”"
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Vote mobilizer rushes to register Hispanics - New Jersey
“A Hispanic voter organization new to New Jersey says it has swelled the ranks of voter records in South Jersey and nationwide this year.
The effect of Democracia USA is most visible in Camden County, where election officials are sorting through 5,000 to 7,000 newly registered voters this week, an unusually high number for a year when the White House isn’t in play, said Phyllis Pearl, superintendent of elections in Camden County.”
Voter-registration drive targets Hispanic citizens - Central Florida
“Indifference, language and citizenship present barriers to registering new voters in Central Florida.
As today’s registration deadline approached, voter-registration efforts were going full-tilt across Central Florida. And that doesn’t even tell the story of getting those newly signed up to the polls on Election Day.
Zenaida Patino and Martha Cardona are among 50 paid canvassers in Democracia USA’s door-to-door campaign to register 21,000 new Central Florida voters.”
