From The Homefront, Vol.20
July 29, 2020
Dear Leading Ladies,
With fewer than 100 days to go until the 2020 presidential election, getting out the vote has become ever more important. We know all too well the roadblocks to voting that face many of our citizens, particularly people of color, those of limited means, the elderly, and those with disabilities.
We want to share some information this week specifically about Latinx citizens. Thirty-two million Latinx will be eligible to vote in the 2020 elections. That’s 13.3% of the electorate, slightly greater than the Black vote for the first time in our history. That puts Latinxs in a potentially powerful position, though it must be noted that Latinxs do not all vote the same. (In the 2018 midterms, 69% of Latinx voters voted for Democratic candidates; 27% voted for Republican candidates.)
Needless to say, both political parties are vying for the Latinx vote. As Stephanie Valencia, a co-founder and the president of EquisLabs, “an organization that seeks a better understanding of the Latino electorate through research and digital innovation,” wrote in the New York Times, “Increased turnout among Latinas and ambivalent voters are the keys to winning in November.” In fact, she is sure that “President Trump hopes to win partly by skimming off a few Latino voters — and he can, if his opponents take us for granted. Democrats who want to see higher levels of support from Latinos need to act with the urgency that this moment demands.”
Voting, according to votolatino.org, should be of great importance to the Latinx community because of problems they encounter. “Latinx communities tend to face particularly challenging issues: racial profiling by law enforcement, gentrification and housing affordability, unsafe workplaces, segregated public schools, immigration raids.”
For those of us who are Latinx or who believe this election should represent the will of all its citizens, the path is clear. Latinx citizens, and particularly Latina citizens, must be encouraged to vote, and any impediments to them registering to vote or mailing in their ballots or getting to the polls must be removed. Learn how you can help at votolatino.org or latinocf.org.
Please remember to tune in on Monday, August 3 at 9 p.m. here or afterward for the next virtual We Are America the Beautiful community meeting with Dr. Jacqueline Ashmore discussing “The Opportunities and Obstacles to Becoming Carbon Neutral by 2050”
Stay well and don’t forget: masks are your new scarves. Don’t be seen without one.
Therese
Judy
Kim
Mary