The Power of the Georgia Latino Vote
By: Andres Parra, GALEO Intern
September 2, 2016
Latinos are the largest minority in the U.S. The entire nation is looking at us to decide the national election, especially in what may become new swing states like Georgia. Everyone knows the power of the Latino vote but that power only counts when you cast your ballot. Despite this, immigration reform has still not progressed, Latino and other minority schools receive less funding than their white counterparts1, affordable health care still has a long way to go to create more affordable healthcare, and many other causes Latinos care about are lagging. You may ask, where is there opportunity for us to defeat this? In the 2012 presidential election only 48 percent of Hispanic eligible voters turned out to vote. When we start performing at the polls politicians will no longer be able to ignore the issues that most matter to our community.
Our vote is especially important in local and state elections. These elections have lower voter turnouts in general but they largely affect our day to day lives. If you doubt the power of your vote, these elections can often be decided by as little as one vote. Not only that but it may be especially important for you to vote if you are the minority in a district where you think your candidate might lose. When elected officials see that they won by a smaller margin and that a large number of Latinos turned out to vote it forces them to take our needs into account and to make more moderate decisions, even if we voted for the opposition. Also if our country continues the current state of political gridlock, then the power of these elected officials will continue to increase. As less decisions are being made by our national government due to a variety of factors, this means that more decisions are being taken by our state and local legislators.
I do not mean to understate or ignore the forces that are act against us. Our political system does favor the wealthy and there are many politicians seeking to impede our voting rights and to lower the power of your vote. These elected officials today are still running on the same old fears and hate of another time. They do not want you to vote because they know that then their game will be over and they will be replaced by more capable candidates. These facts are very disdaining and they need to be changed. Organizations like GALEO are working to change injustices in our system right here in Georgia, but at the same time strong opposition should reassure you of the real power of your vote.
Our political system can work for us. America is the best nation in the world and it is so great because American Democracy is one of the greatest political systems in the world, that is why we are here. Eighty percent of families earning over $100,000 voted in the 2012 election because they know that ultimately the only way to have a president elected and favorable government is to go out and vote for each of them. Historically all minorities in the U.S. have been denied the power to vote. The people that came before us marched and fought for this most important right. We owe it to them and to our veterans to practice this right. Bill Gates, Michael Phelps, and you all have the same amount of power in deciding the leader of the free world, so please do not take that power for granted.
It is also important to consider that many in our community cannot vote. We depend on you to speak for us. Your vote as a U.S. Latino citizen speaks not only for you but for all of the undocumented, permanent residents, or visa holders who are unable to vote. We depend on you to tell our elected officials that Latinos are here and we deserve to be heard. Not voting is not a political act, if you are not voting no one is hearing you. Democracy only works when we participate. We can start a political movement; we can define our own future. In this democratic system you, the people, run this country. There are good and bad candidates in all parties. It is up to you to decide which candidate will do a better job of protecting our rights as they hope to move this nation forward, but even if you don’t know who to vote for, the simple act of you casting your ballot tells all elected officials to worry about issues affecting our communities. This November 8 will be a historic election, let’s make history together by turning out to vote and making sure that Latino issues are addressed in the next four years.
If you need to register to vote or check if you are registered, you can do so here. When you register to vote you can also look at a sample ballot. The presidential election is November 8th; the deadline to register is October 11th. Tell your family and friends and acquaintances to register. You can vote early, the day of the election, or by absentee ballot. After you register you will receive a card with your polling station and when you go to vote you will need valid proof of I.D.
If have any questions visit our website at GALEO.org or contact us at 1-888-54GALEO (1-888-5442536). Remember, your vote deserves respect and your vote is our voice.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the author only. It is not to be assumed that the opinions are those of GALEO or the GALEO Latino Community Development Fund. For the official position on any issue for GALEO, please contact Jerry Gonzalez, Executive Director of GALEO at jerry@2014old.galeo.org.