Advocacy Organization Registers 90,000 Latino Voters

Oct. 18, 2012— -- The nation's largest Latino advocacy group has registered more than 90,000 Latino voters over the past seven months.

The National Council of La Raza's "Mobilize to Vote" campaign since March registered more than 54,000 new voters in Florida alone, the biggest swing state in terms of electoral votes.

Obama won the state by only 236,450 votes in 2008. The president and Romney are currently neck-and-neck in the state. And while Obama holds a lead among Latino voters, a new poll of likely Florida Latino voters shows Obama leading Romney 51 to 44 percent.

NCLR targeted registration in other swing states where Latinos have the ability to impact election outcomes, including Nevada, Colorado and Pennsylvania.

And registering voters in Florida is trickier this year than in previous election cycles. Groups registering people must turn in forms within 48 hours or face fines, a law that prompted the League of Women voters to stop registering people in the state.

The organization is shifting into a "Get out the Vote" campaign to encourage Latinos to cast ballots now that registration has ended in many states.

They plan to distribute information about how to vote early and by mail where those opportunities exist.

"We want to make sure that Latino voices are heard in November and that their influence is felt at the local and national level—on Election Day and beyond," said Clarissa Martínez-De-Castro, NCLR Director of Civic Engagement and Immigration. "It's important that these voters are informed about their rights, so our efforts include empowering Latinos with the information they need to exercise their vote confidently come Election Day."