If you're paying attention to the 2010 elections, you probably heard about the Pew Hispanic Center's recent survey that indicated voter enthusiasm among Hispanic voters was way down from historic levels in 2008 - something that's been echoed by tons of media pundits. Specifically, the Pew survey said:
"Hispanic registered voters appear to be less motivated than other voters to go to the polls. Just one-third (32%) of all Latino registered voters say they have given this year's election ‘quite a lot' of thought."
What you didn't hear in media reports about the survey was the clear connection between engagement on issues and enthusiasm about voting:
"Nearly six-in-ten (58%) Latino registered voters who have discussed the immigration debate say they are absolutely certain they will vote in November, compared with just four-in-ten (39%) of those who have not talked about the immigration debate."
That's where groups like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) come in. A national leader in the fight for the right of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in American life, ICIRR has fully embraced electoral engagement as a tool to build power and realize its vision. Focusing its electoral efforts in building support for comprehensive immigration reform as part of its One Nation One Dream campaign, ICIRR is working to turn out more than 130,000 immigrant voters to the polls on Election Day in Illinois.
With the election nearing, Wellstone Action's Movement Building Project had the privilege of training over 100 of ICIRR's member organizations' leaders in Get Out The Vote best practices in Chicago. The participants were from an incredible diversity of immigrant and refugee background, but with a single mission: connecting voting with the issues facing their communities and making sure elected officials see and feel that power.
Ashley Moy-Wooten, the New Americans Democracy Project Director for ICIRR, and a graduate of Wellstone Action's Advanced Campaign Management School, had this to say about the training and the campaign:
"When we [ICIRR] collaborate with Wellstone Action, we know we are bringing top quality trainings and trainers to our communities. 105 grassroots leaders entered the room on Saturday morning with vague ideas about how to get out the vote, but they left understanding the ins and outs of a GOTV operation, and best of all, with concrete plans and lots of energy and enthusiasm! Our leaders are ready to rock and roll come November 2nd. Everyone says that immigrants won't vote. We're ready to prove everyone wrong!"
Given the energy in that room, ICIRR's proven ability to deliver, and the momentum the campaign has picked up in recent weeks, we have no doubt that they will prove the pundits wrong on Tuesday.
