National coalition unveils campaign to increase The Latino Vote 2008.

In a briefing at the National Press Club, a coalition of the nation’s largest and most established Latino organizations and the country’s largest Spanish-language media companies launched Ya es Hora, ¡Ve y Vota! (It’s Time, Go Vote!), a non-partisan national voter mobilization effort targeting U.S. Hispanics. The campaign seeks to significantly increase Latino voter registration and turnout in the 2008 presidential elections through an unprecedented multi-media campaign that encompasses grassroots, print and broadcast outreach. In particular, the campaign will use aggressive non-partisan field efforts to ensure that Latinos are an important vote in the new Southwestern battleground states.

The coalition partners include Entravision Communications, ImpreMedia, Mi Familia Vota Educational Fund, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), and Univision Communications Inc.

The coalition’s Ya es Hora campaign has been organized into two strategic phases: Ya es Hora ¡Ciudadanía!, which worked to naturalize an estimated one million eligible legal permanent residents in 2007, and now, the Ya es Hora ¡Ve y Vota!, which will seek to register and mobilize millions of Latinos in 2008.

Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the NALEO Educational Fund, pointed to the rapid growth of the Latino electorate in key states and the increased participation seen over the last decade as a foundation from which to build upon for 2008. “As we saw in 2006 and 2007, Latinos are ready to help shape the future of this country by fully participating in the American political process, from citizenship to the ballot box. We intend to provide them the tools to make it happen,” said Mr. Vargas.

“The Ya es Hora campaign has had tremendous success in helping eligible Latinos become U.S. citizens. Today, we launch a voter mobilization campaign in partnership with hundreds of community organizations across the country so that Latinos will project a stronger voice for our nation’s future. We expect Latino voter turnout on Election Day 2008 to shatter the previous record of 7.5 million in 2004,” said Cecilia Munoz, Senior Vice President of NCLR.

Field efforts will look to mobilize Latino registered voters through direct contact in 11 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. Voter information and education tools—including a toll-free bilingual hotline 1-888-Ve-Y-Vota, and a campaign website http://www.veyvota.org> –will provide U.S. Latinos with information vital to the electoral process, from registering to vote to finding their polling place on Election Day. In addition, the hotline and field efforts will work with the national Election Protection 365 network to protect Latino voters and ensure voters’ rights in 2008.

“Latinos are more driven than ever to participate in the American political process and make their voices heard on Election Day. Sheer growth coupled with the community’s ever-increasing political will are converging to deliver a powerful punch in 2008. The emergence of key battleground states in the southwest and Florida will give 2.2 million Latino registered voters a particularly decisive role in shaping our political future,” said Eliseo Medina, Treasurer of Mi Familia Vota and Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union.

In collaboration, the largest Spanish-language media companies in the United States will dramatically expand the reach and impact of the campaign. Combined, Entravision, ImpreMedia, and Univision are in 99% of U.S. Latino homes. Additionally, according to a 2006 survey conducted by NCLR, 52% of Hispanics say ads and programs on Spanish-language media encourage them to get involved, register, and go out to vote.

“Univision has a strong commitment to inform, educate and empower U.S. Hispanics. Through the Ya es Hora partnership, we will continue to leverage our TV, radio and online properties to reach and mobilize our weekly audience of 25 million and engage them in the crucial upcoming 2008 presidential election,” said Cesar Conde, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, Univision Communications Inc.

Rossana Rosado, Publisher of El Diario La Prensa in New York added, “ImpreMedia’s commitment to inform and engage the U.S. Latino community through our daily and weekly publications is unrivaled. Our commitment to the campaign will include nearly 11 million readers in the top 17 Latino markets.”