Yvette Ramos is a graduate student at California Baptist University and the Latino Student Union secretary. She is passionate about the importance of voting and being civically engaged. Ramos explains why voting matters to her and her family.
“So I would say we’re the second-largest group in terms of people who can vote in America. And like, one of the stereotypes is that, you know, people say that the vote doesn’t matter, but because there’s so many Latinos that are now being able to vote,” Ramos said. “And now that they’re of age to vote, they’re either 18 or older, I would say that we’re going to be one of the biggest groups that will be able to make a change in the election.”
Ramos is just one of many Latinos in the U.S. who anticipate election season. Although her family is civically engaged, this is not always the case for other families.
Research from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that while Latinos represent 36% of California’s adult population, they account for only 25% of the state’s likely voters. With elections less than a week away, whoever wins the Latino vote could take the lead in the race.
The nonprofit Training Occupational Development Educating Communities (TODEC) in Perris, Calif., is helping families across the Inland Empire be educated, motivated and civically engaged in the upcoming elections. The executive director of TODEC tells us about the classes they are providing for the Latino community.
“Most of the people who come from the countries, for example, from Mexico prefer to vote in person. Many times, they are intimidated because they do not know what the process is like if they speak Spanish. So, what we do in our classes is we put together fake voting ballots, and we explain what the process is, what they are going to ask them when they arrive so that they have it ready, their address, their name and their rights. So that they know their rights, and if their rights are violated, where they can file complaints.”
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, and TODEC is encouraging all Latinos to go out and use their vote.
