Thread: Hispanic groups targeting ballot box

By Doug Gross

Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA - After months of rallies, marches and other protests against state and federal immigration legislation they call discriminatory, Georgia Hispanic groups Saturday began moving their fight to a new front - the ballot box.

The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials hosted about two dozen volunteers from across the state for a voter registration training session.

The session was part of "Democracy Summer," a nationwide effort by unions, Hispanic activists and religious groups trying to convert the street protests of recent months into political power.

Groups in at least 19 states kicked off drives on Saturday.

"We can march all we want; we can go to as many rallies as we want," said Jerry Gonzalez, director of GALEO. "But if we don't start standing up to vote, these abuses against immigrant families are going to continue."

In Georgia, there were about 70,000 registered voters identified as Hispanic in 2004. That number already has increased by as much as 500 percent in some counties, Gonzalez said, and will continue to grow as the U.S.-born children of immigrants become old enough to vote.

Even with those gains, the Hispanic vote remains relatively small in a state with more than 4 million registered voters.

But Gonzalez said Hispanic citizens - many of whom were angered by legislation this year aimed at curbing illegal immigration and denying government services to illegals - can become a key swing vote if this year's races for governor, the state Legislature and other seats are close.

"The Latino community is on the cusp of becoming a significant voting bloc in the state of Georgia," he said. "What we're doing today is trying to make sure we get to that point a lot sooner."

At Saturday's session in Atlanta, volunteers got tips on how to approach and register Hispanic voters, filled out sample registration cards and made plans to create calling lists and other tools to ensure registered voters make it to the polls on Election Day.

Madelyn Powell, whose Athens-based group Write to Vote encourages absentee voting among low-income, minority and elderly voters, said she came looking for ways to get more Hispanics to the polls.

"I've done great in poor black communities and poor white communities," she said. "But I have never had one ounce of success in crossing those cultural lines and making progress in the Latino community."

Gonzalez and other speakers told volunteers to be prepared for frustration when attempting to register Hispanics. Only U.S. citizens may vote, ruling out even legal permanent residents.

"Part of a successful voter registration drive is managing your expectations," he said. "It may be that one out of 20 Latinos you come in contact with will be eligible to vote."

Being aggressive doesn't hurt either, said Carmen Vega, a Cobb County retiree who has been registering voters for years.

"Last year, we were like barkers at a carnival," she said of one registration event. "We had to follow them and yell at them - they would register just to get rid of us."

The "Democracy Summer" effort aims to register a million new voters nationwide and convince many of the 8 million legal residents in this country to apply for citizenship.


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"Part of a successful voter registration drive is managing your expectations," he said. "It may be that one out of 20 Latinos you come in contact with will be eligible to vote."

One in 20 eligible to vote, which means 19 out of 20 are not...am I the only one here who wonders how power the Latino vote would really be if we secured our borders, and deported all those here ILLEGALLY.

Talk about loosing our country. Just another stab in my back to think people from another country can cancel out my vote. Who do we write to about this? Who runs the registrar of voters? I went to my county website and couldn't tell. I'll keep looking around. I'll contact my rep too, my senators are a waste of time.

Originally Posted by jean

Talk about loosing our country. Just another stab in my back to think people from another country can cancel out my vote. Who do we write to about this? Who runs the registrar of voters? I went to my county website and couldn't tell. I'll keep looking around. I'll contact my rep too, my senators are a waste of time.

Each state's Secretary of State is who handles voting. I think we need to get independent vote monitors to make sure that poll workers are checking IDs. Ballot box stuffing is as much of a reality here in America as it is in a third world country, maybe worse.

Thank you for the tip Iig. I found the name and address of my Secretary of State whom I will write expressing my concern, worth a try. I do see in our state as of Jan 1, 2006 there are stricter requirements of ID's needed but still looks flaky to me. Anyone with something between their ears should know this seriously needs enforcement.

You're welcome Jean. The rules are supposedly tighter in CA too as of this year. Years ago, I personally was given a pass to vote by a poll volunteer worker who acted almost offended that I even tried to identify myself. She simply asked for my sample ballot that I got in the mail. I thought to myself, if she did that with me, she's been doing it with everyone!

My fear is that people do know voter ID needs to be enforced, but they don't speak up when they see that isn't being enforced. Even when they are totally in the right, they end up being silenced through intimidation or being called names. It can be extremely difficult to speak up when you see something terrible happening, sometimes even when it happens directly to you, when you feel outnumbered and if you were raised to never make a fuss. Very difficult.

I am also attaching that news article on this post to my letter to back up my concern. Ridiculous we even have to fight for this to be upheld. I will let everyone know if I get a response.

I've started telling my congressmen that I want proof of citizenship defined by official documents such as birth certificates, which can be verified by a government agency. I don't want illegals effecting elections in America, espceially the presidential election. I've been telling them I want this resolved and implemented by the next presedential election, which is in 2 years. Get busy!

Also, everyone needs to put presure on their state governments, to take all illegals off of voter rolls. They will effect your local and state elections, if you do not put a stop to accepting questionable documents as a form of ID to register to vote. Unacceptable.

Once again, I say consider the line of sucession, to the presidency and how a governor put in place by the illegal population wil effect America, which would be in a state of chaos.

Dixie

Since I have been out of college for many years and really only remember very little of my Government class....I have been researching the American political system and through my research found that there is nothing in the constitution about citizenship being a requirement for voting....

"Outside the constitutional amendments covering race, sex, age, voter eligibitity....it is left up to the states." (Tom Waldman, The Best Guide to American Politics, copywrite 2000, page 24)

In other words, it is possible that Georgia could "allow" an illegal immigrant to register and cast a vote....However, we hope that if that happens, true American citizens would be in such an uproar about it that someone would file suet against the state of Georgia all the way to the Supreme Court....but again there is no restriction against being a legal citizen of the United States and voting...

If I am wrong please point this out.....but in fighting this serious problem of illegal immigration, serious action needs to be taken to change the constitution that a major requirement to vote in any election in US would be citizenship...

We should also change the 14th amendment that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States..." meaning that anchor babies would no longer be a loop hole for illegals to partition the courts to bring their entire family to this country cause some pregnant illegal alien dragged herself across the border to have a baby (minding that they don't have insurance and we as american taxpayers are fitting the bill) and the baby and family can stay in this country...

That my friends needsto be address immediately!!!

Nanc

In the sam