Getting out the Latinx vote

Latino voters prefer to vote in person because they think their vote is more likely to be counted – but express they don’t have enough information, according to the Voter Participation Center.

And one Kansas City, Missouri, woman saw that need first hand.

AHEAD OF AN ELECTIONLIKE NONE OTHER -INFORMATION HAS PROVENTO BE KEY.ACCORDING TO THEVOTER PARTICIPATIONCENTER - 65-PERCENT OFLATINO VOTERS SAY THEYPREFER TO VOTE INPERSON - BUT DON'T HAVEENOUGH INFORMATION.ONE WOMAN SAW THATNEED FIRST HAND WHENHER EFFORTS TOREGISTER VOTERSUNVEILED A BARRIER TOVOTING IN THE LOCALLATIN-X COMMUNITY.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORGABRIELLA PAGAN SHARESHER PUSH FOR EQUALITY.at Guadalupe Center"Every year there is 1 millionLatinos who are turning 18which means 1 millionpossible registered voters thattheir vote most definitelycounts.""We are not the minorityanymore."WHAT STARTED OUT AS ANEFFORT TO REGISTER ANDEDUCATE VOTERS INUNDERSERVEDCOMMUNITIES QUICKLYTURNED INTO A FIGHT FOREQUALITY AT THE POLLSFOR LATINOS IN KASASCITY.Malia Hatley/ Created VotersHelpingVoters" what we started to learn isthatthose people feel like aneglected part of this processand this community, thateverybody else got to vote anddo all these things and nobodywas speaking their languageand addressing their needsand saying here's how YOUdo this in a language YOUunderstand."IN SETTING UP LOCATIONSAROUND TOWN, VOTERSHELPING VOTERSREALIZED THERE WAS ANEED.Hatley" so, I called the Secretary ofState office and I said wellwhere is the Spanish forFor the ballot request form,where is the Spanish one?And after a few calls withsome weird answers I calledback one day and they are likeOK listen there is not a largeenough Spanish-speakingpopulation in the state ofMissouri for us to legally haveto make that documentavailable."41 ACTION NEWSCHECKED ONLINE - ANDCALLED THE MISSOURISECRETARY OF STATE'SOFFICE - AND IT TURNSOUT, HATLEY IS CORRECT.THE MISSOURISECRETARY OF STATE'SOFFICE TOLD US IT WASQUOTE: "REALLYUNNECESSARY BECAUSEFEDERAL FORMS ON THEU-S ELECTION ASSISTANCECOMMISSION WEBSITE ARESUFFICIENT AND AVAILABLEIN 15 DIFFERENTLANGUAGES INCLUDINGSPANISH."Anne Calvert /League of WomenVoters" I think it's part of votersuppression and I think thatit's in conscionable I mean Ithink it's terrible."Hatley" I found that ridiculous andrather offensive because thereare... I don't care how manySpanish-speaking people wehave this was not a hard thingto do.

You can pay your waterbill in Spanish you can go tothe ATM in Spanish you cdo everything in Spanishshould you choose in thisworld anymore but not this."HATLEY SOON FOUNDHERSELF GOING DOWN ARABBIT HOLE.COMBINING EFFORTSFIRST WITH THEGUADALUPE CENTER TOTAP INTO THE LATINOCOMMUNITY AND THEN THELOCAL LEAGUE OF WOMENVOTERS....Calvert"I answered the phone a lotand answered their questionsa lot."...THE PUSH TOIMPLEMENT THE SPANISHLANGUAGE ON VOTERREGISTRATIONDOCUMENTS BEGAN.LEARNING THE KANSASCITY BOARD OF ELECTIONSCOULD ACCEPT A FORMIN SPANISH - IF ONE WASCREATED.Hatley" their biggest concern wasthey needed to make surethey had people once theyreceived the forms that couldread them whether they knewSpanish or not."THE FORM THEY ENDEDUP WITH IS A COMBINATIONOF ENGLISH AND SPANISH.SO A PERSON who speaksSPANISH CAN REQUEST ABALLOT AND A volunteer whospeaks ENGLISH - CANTHEN GET THEM THEIRBALLOT.WITH A SIGN THAT READS -'WE KNOW SPANISH -COME TALK TO US ABOUTVOTING - THEY NOW MEETTHEM WHERE THEY ARE.Hatley" that became critical."" what more patriotic thing canyou do in this life, in thiscountry, then help people voteand frankly what less patrioticthing can you do then trying tosuppress that."AFTER CHECKING, 41ACTION NEWS FOUND AVOTER REGISTRATIONFORM IN SPANISH BUT NOTA MISSOURI BALLOREQUEST FORM.888-839-8682 OR VOTA IS ABILINGUAL HOTLINE TOCONNECT LATINO VOTERSNATIONWIDE WITHINFORMATION ON THEELECTORAL PROCESS,VOTER ID REQUIREMENTSAND MORE.WE HAVE ALL THISINFORMATION FOR YOU ONOUR WEBSITE TOO -KSHB.COMIN THE NEWSROOM,GABRIELLA PAGAN, 41ACTION NEW