Leading Latino Organizations and Latino Elected & Appointed Officials Unite For A Latino Get Out The Vote Press Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
June 21, 2021
Press contacts:
Elianne Ramos | Chief Communications Officer | [email protected] | 212.739.7513
Sarai Bejarano | Manager of Traditional & Digital Media | [email protected] | 212-739-7581
Leading Latino Organizations and Latino Elected & Appointed Officials Unite For A Latino Get Out The Vote Press Conference
Ahead of the last weekend of early voting leaders urge Latinos to vote to help shape the future of the city.
New York, NY- On Friday, June 18th, 2021, NALEO Educational Education, Hispanic Federation, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Dominicanos USA and Rank The Vote NYC held a press conference outside the Bronx County Courthouse to urge the Latino community to vote in the June 22 primary elections. The organizers were joined by U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), New York State Assemblywoman Karines Reyes, New York City Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Raquel Batista, New York City Board of Elections Commissioner Miguelina Camilo and Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Executive Director Maria Lizardo. Speakers urged Latino voters, who make-up 22.5% of the City’s registered voters, to cast their votes to help shape the future of New York City as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are living in a pivotal moment — a pivotal moment for our country and a pivotal moment for our local communities,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Now more than ever, it is crucial that those in power reflect the diversity of those they were elected to represent. We have witnessed blatant acts of voter suppression billowing across the country and countless Republican-led efforts to thwart American democracy — there’s no better time than now to ensure the voice of the people are heard. I was proud to vote in support of the For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to protect the voices of my constituents and amplify the voice of the people – in New York City and nationwide.”
“The June primary elections represent a pivotal moment in our history and an opportunity to shape our future,” said Raquel Batista, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs. “While our Latino communities have disproportionately suffered from the pandemic, they also have enormous power to help ensure a full and equitable recovery for our communities through their votes. We’re proud to stand with our partners to urge Latino New Yorkers to learn about Ranked Choice Voting, access multilingual resources, learn about their rights at the poll site, and make a voting plan today at voting.nyc.”
"There are only a few days left to make your voice heard by voting in the primary elections,” said Assembly Member Karines Reyes R.N. “Your vote determines how the government operates and serves you. This election cycle gives you the chance to create the change that you want to see by electing leaders that you believe in. With a few days remaining of Early Voting, you can beat the lines on Election Day and vote when it is most convenient for you. Additionally, for this election, the Board of Elections is introducing the Ranked Choice Voting system which ensures that your votes have the most value. For many positions across the city, this new system of voting allows you to rank up to five different candidates in order of preference. Whether it be early or on Election Day, get out and vote!”
As a Commissioner for the Board of Elections in the City of New York, we are excited to launch Ranked Choice Voting for the 2021 Primary Election”, said New York City Board of Elections Commissioner Miguelina Camilo. “I am proud of the Board’s efforts to educate NYC voters and make voting more accessible. We have increased our early voting sites, increased the hours of early voting and made various enhancements at the poll sites to improve the voter experience. We encourage all voters to visit vote.nyc to find their assigned Early voting site, locate their Election Day site and view their sample ballot.”
"This is a very exciting time in NYC as we look to elect a new Mayor, NYC Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and City Council Members said Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation. Latinos are now the largest ethnic voting group in the City among all active registered voters. Now is the time for us to exercise our power to vote to elect people that will truly represent our needs and invest in our communities."
“As voting in New York City is underway, it is paramount that elections administrators continue to ensure that up-to-date and accessible information on Ranked-Choice Voting is made available to all voters, including New York City’s Latino electorate,” said Juan Rosa, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community & Northeast Programs for NALEO Educational Fund. “With New York City’s sizeable share of Latino voters continuing to demonstrate a deep investment in civic life, the community’s participation in this election will be a key indicator of how effective administrators were in engaging Latino voters and other groups throughout the city.”
“Community engagement is not simply focused on asking for public input but encouraging and ensuring the active participation of individuals in decision-making processes that shape the world around them said Fulvia Vargas-De Leon, Associate Counsel at LatinoJustice. This NYC primary signals the start of electing those who will guide our communities out of the devastating effects the pandemic has caused in our workforce, housing, and education among other vital issues. Get out and vote mi gente – our future depends on it!”
“Now more than ever, as our city recovers from COVID-19, the eligible Latino voting community in New York City needs to ensure that we cast an informed ballot,” said Emely Paez, Director of Government Affairs at the Hispanic Federation. “By working alongside these great Latino organizations, we are able to make a larger call to action ensuring that our community all around New York City understands the importance of voting in this upcoming June 22nd Primary election.”
“Our mission at Dominicanos USA is to empower our community to vote and show them that there is a place for their voice in the electoral process,” said Eliana Santos, Director at Dominicanos USA. “We have registered over 115,000 Latinos to vote in New York City and our goal is to create educational resources that will not only teach how the voting system works, but also let our community understand the importance of voting and how it can impact elections and their day-to-day life for themselves and their families.”
NALEO Educational Fund, Hispanic Federation, Dominicanos USA and LatinoJustice have partnered with Rank The Vote NYC, NYC Votes, DemocracyNYC and the New York City Board of Elections to implement a robust, culturally-and-linguistically accessible outreach and education campaign targeting Latino voters to increase their awareness of the new method of voting and to increase excitement about voting in general. They organized social media live events, digital ad buys, radio buys, cable television ad buys, non-partisan mailings, street visibility events, informational webinars and other activities in their efforts to ensure Latinos are empowered with information about election procedures and participate in the pivotal June 22 NYC Primary Elections.
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For more than 40 years, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has acted as an advocate against injustices throughout New York and beyond. To learn more about LatinoJustice, visit www.LatinoJustice.org