ORLANDO, Fla., June 30, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, LULAC announced its efforts to curtail voter suppression laws and inform the Latino community about the importance of voter registration. On Saturday June 30 at the free people's concert, and as part of the organization's grassroots voting registration initiative "The Future is in Your Hands: Vote!" LULAC will be registering people to vote for the 2012 Elections. The registration effort has been ongoing throughout the LULAC convention. Also, at today's Mobilizing the Latino Vote Town Hall, the following issues will be highlighted: the history of voting rights, Latino demographics, the potential of the Latino vote, voter protection and suppression, voter registration, and GOTV. Expert panelists from Vota Por Tu Futuro and Latinos for Democracy will provide insight on these key topics.
The national picture shows that the Latino community is no longer sitting at the sidelines. Today, people of Hispanic origin make up this nation's largest ethnic minority. In the 2010 census, 50.5 million Hispanics were counted. Over the same decade, the number of Latino eligible voters—adults who are U.S. citizens—also increased, from 13.2 million in 2000 to 21.3 million in 2010. Our growing population has extended to the labor force as well. Our purchasing power too has seen increases, as it's estimated that the Latino purchasing power will reach 1.2 trillion by 2012. Latino business owners are also growing at more than twice the national average. The growth in population also increased Latino voter turn- out. According to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, more than 6.6 million Latinos voted in last year's election. The 2010 Census confirmed that the Latino community, now 50.5 million strong, is the nation's largest minority group. Given the Latino demographics, it's likely that the Latino vote will be a deciding factor in the 2012 Elections.
"Since our founding in 1929, LULAC has spearheaded voter registration drives to mobilize the Latino community to vote," said LULAC National President Margaret Moran. "Poll taxes, literacy tests, and unfit polling sites were ever present challenges that were designed to deter our community from voting."
Also, working with other non-profits, LULAC is part of a combined group initiative, Latinos for Democracy, which is part of Movimiento Hispano that also includes curtailing voter suppression laws geared towards preventing people from exercising their right to vote. The effort also include an education piece to inform voters about key Latino issues and facilitating Latino immigrants to become citizens.
More than 22 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in 2012 and that voter turnout could be as high as 12 million. Not only are Latinos the fastest growing block voters, they are especially important in battleground states with large Hispanic populations, such as Florida.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC's programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=12386