FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Victoria Fosdal, victoria@dfer.org
Danny Turkel, danny@votolatino.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 2020) — Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an affiliate of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), and Voto Latino are excited to announce a matching donation campaign aimed at amplifying Voto Latino’s voter engagement efforts in Texas, Colorado, and Florida. The $300,000 partnership will go towards engaging, educating, and empowering any and all eligible voters in those states, registering them to vote and then making their voices heard at the polls in November. In total, this collaboration hopes to register 294,000 more voters to engage in the political process.
“Too often policies are done to communities and not with them. The best way we can change that is by empowering communities to vote,” says Shavar Jeffries, president of DFER. “Through the partnership between ERNA and Voto Latino, we look forward to registering 294,000 new voters so that their perspectives are heard this November.”
“Along with ERNA, Voto Latino is prioritizing the need to reach even more voters and create greater access to our electoral system,” said María Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino. “These funds will help to boost our ongoing efforts and ensure that the 2020 election is one of representation and participation.”
“Voting is one of the easiest and most impactful ways we can make a difference in our communities,” says Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez, director of Leaders of Color New York, which is affiliated with ERNA and recruits and prepares Black and Brown leaders for public office. “Each of us has the power to change the political and leadership landscape for Latinos and it starts at the ballot,” she said.
Voto Latino has already registered 202,419 voters in the 2020 election cycle, with more than 128,322 in Texas, alone. Due to increased capacity from this partnership, Voto Latino will continue registering voters at scale, through culturally competent and digitally-focused campaigns.
“Just over half of eligible Latino voters are registered in Colorado,” says Jen Walmer, director of DFER-Colorado. “Imagine the impact on local, state, and national elections if every eligible voter had his or her voice heard this November—Latino voters can have tremendous power in deciding these elections.”
While the registration initiative is nonpartisan, DFER and Voto Latino are publicly supporting Vice President Biden.
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Education Reform Now Advocacy is the 501(c)(4) nonprofit partner of Democrats for Education Reform, a political action committee that seeks to elect leaders who will support policies that benefit all students—particularly Black and Latino students. ERNA’s advocacy group supports DFERs legislative and political advocacy work.
Voto Latino is a 501(c)(4) grassroots nonprofit political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs, and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.